As Portugal concluded public consultation on its Action Plan to Combat Ocean Acidification (PACAO), three leading environmental organizations—Sciaena, SPEA, and ZERO—issued a pointed critique: while the plan is a pioneering step, it lacks the ambition, operational clarity, and regional balance needed to confront the climate crisis—especially in the Azores.

Although Portugal is among the first countries to create a dedicated ocean acidification strategy, the groups highlight a troubling disparity between Madeira and the Azores. Madeira is assigned specific, tailored measures. The Azores—despite representing the largest share of Portugal’s Exclusive Economic Zone—are given none. Environmental advocates warn that this omission undermines any claim to a truly integrated national maritime policy.

The organizations also argue that most of the plan’s 16 action sheets are overly procedural and vague, lacking measurable targets, clear timelines, and defined funding. Without specific performance indicators, they say, it will be difficult to hold decision-makers accountable or track real progress.

They are calling for acidification to become a binding criterion in Portugal’s Maritime Spatial Planning framework (PSOEM), including the use of vulnerability maps and projected pH scenarios to guide decisions about economic activities at sea. In other words, acidification should not simply be monitored—it should actively shape ocean governance.

The groups further criticize the absence of clear leadership and coordination among the 27 entities mentioned in the plan, warning that fragmented responsibility often leads to inaction.

Other concerns include:

  • A limited decarbonization roadmap for maritime transport that focuses only on ports, rather than the entire shipping sector.
  • The need to expand Portugal’s planned 2030 ban on scrubbers (ship exhaust gas cleaning systems) to include Marine Protected Areas and Emission Control Areas.
  • The near-total absence of concrete measures addressing marine litter and abandoned “ghost nets.”
  • A failure to confront destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling further stresses already fragile ecosystems.

For Azoreans in the diaspora—whose cultural memory, economy, and identity are inseparable from the Atlantic—the stakes are not abstract. The health of the ocean directly affects fisheries, biodiversity, coastal communities, and future economic resilience.

The organizations close with a reminder rooted in the Precautionary Principle: the lack of complete scientific certainty must not delay protective measures. Acting decisively now, they argue, is essential to safeguarding both marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them—including those whose connection to the islands stretches across the ocean.

Adapted from a story published by Diário dos Açores – Paulo Vivieiros, director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.