Portugal’s Ocean Plan: 27% Protection, Azores Tuna Rules & Water Overhaul

Portugal's environmental agenda in 2026 will pivot on securing fresh marine reserves, resolving contentious fishing rules in the Azores, and upgrading legacy water systems on the mainland.

Key Highlights

• 27% of national waters set to be protected through new offshore reserves and existing networks

• Azorean assembly green-lights limited tuna fishing despite conservation concerns

• €160M earmarked for sweeping wastewater treatment upgrades to meet EU rules

• Santa Clara–Algarve pipeline overhaul and additional desalination plant mapped out

• 47 of 61 Special Conservation Areas approved, with Moura as the final holdout

Forging a Blue Shield: Marine Protection Accelerates

As Lisbon moves to formalize the Madeira-Tore & Banco de Gorringe Marine Nature Reserve, the country will see its share of protected ocean rise to 27%, up from 16.8% in 2024. That massive 200,000 km² offshore tract between Sagres and Madeira is expected to be ratified in early 2026 after concluding technical and public consultation steps scheduled by December 2025. With this reserve and the existing Rede de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas dos Açores, Portugal aims to hit the United Nations’ 30% target by the end of 2026, well ahead of the original 2030 deadline.

Balancing Tradition and Conservation in the Azores

In Ponta Delgada’s regional assembly, lawmakers approved a Socialist Party motion to permit pole-and-line tuna fishing in high-protection zones of the Rede de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas dos Açores, while maintaining a ban in ‘proteção total’ areas. Proponents argue that this method is a cultural badge of island communities, systematically low-impact and backed by agreed financial compensations and monitoring plans to safeguard stocks. Critics warn that even selective gear can disturb sensitive pelagic habitats and decry the compromise as an ‘atamancado’ patchwork that could tarnish Portugal’s ocean leadership.

Quenching the South: Dams, Canals and Desalination

Persistent drought in the Alentejo and Algarve has prompted engineers to revisit a decades-old canal proposal linking the Santa Clara dam near Odemira to coastal reservoirs in the Algarve. Simultaneously, the approved Sines desalination plant, originally earmarked for industrial use, may be joined by a second unit focused on agricultural irrigation in the Mira and Sado basins, regions that experts label as ‘very worrying’ in terms of water stress.

Brussels’ Deadline: Overhauling Sewage Infrastructure

Lisbon faces mounting pressure from the European Commission over compliance with the Urban Waste-water Directive, with two infringement cases—INFR(2022)2028 and INFR(2024)2193—currently before the Court of Justice of the EU. At least 11 agglomerations still lack proper secondary treatment, and Pereira do Campo remains a high-profile breach. In response, the government has earmarked €160M to upgrade or replace ageing wastewater treatment plants, prioritizing hotspots like Moura, São Luís and Caldas da Rainha, with a full audit due by March.

Completing the Land Puzzle: Special Conservation Areas

Onshore, work to designate 61 Special Conservation Areas (SCAs) under the EU Habitats Directive is nearing completion: 47 SCAs are already approved, and the remaining dossiers—chiefly the one covering Moura—are expected to be finalized by March 2026, closing a chapter of legal uncertainty dating back to 2013.

What It Means for Portuguese Communities

From cleaner beaches that boost tourism to stable irrigation for farmers, these measures will reshape daily life across Portugal. Coastal towns may see increased eco-tourism, while rural villages could benefit from more reliable water supply. Whether Portugal can sustain its reputation as a European ocean champion while resolving lingering infrastructure gaps will depend on swift execution over the coming months.