Scientists, civil society organisations, maritime-related businesses and members of the public have launched the “Milfontes Manifesto – For the Future of Portugal’s Marine Forests”, a call for the urgent protection of Portugal’s marine ecosystems and the creation of a National Strategy for Marine Biodiversity with a timeframe extending to 2040.
The manifesto was drafted and developed during the scientific meeting entitled “What future for Portugal’s marine forests?”, held in Vila Nova de Milfontes as part of the 2026 Marine Forests Festival. This meeting brought together experts from various national universities and research centres, environmental organisations, representatives of civil society and operators linked to the sea.
The document, which has almost 80 signatories so far, warns of the increasing degradation of Portugal’s marine forests, including seagrass beds, macroalgal forests, coral and sponge gardens, and other biogenic habitats – ecosystems that are essential for biodiversity, fisheries productivity, coastal protection, climate regulation and the ecological resilience of the ocean.
In this Manifesto, the signatories highlight what international scientific evidence has been demonstrating: many marine ecosystems can exceed ecological points of no return, making recovery extremely difficult, slow or even impossible on a human timescale.
“The time to act is now. Preventing degradation is far more effective than trying to restore ecosystems after they have collapsed”.
The manifesto was drafted and developed during the scientific meeting entitled “What future for Portugal’s marine forests?”, held in Vila Nova de Milfontes last weekend as part of the Festival das Flore
In addition to the Manifesto, the document includes a very important annex setting out proposed guiding principles for a National Strategy for Marine Biodiversity, based on an integrated, long-term vision grounded in the best available science and widely supported by the national scientific community, civil society and marine-related organisations.
The promoters argue that Portugal, which possesses one of the largest exclusive economic zones in Europe and a marine scientific community of international excellence, is uniquely placed to assume strategic leadership in the conservation of the Atlantic Ocean.
The manifesto will be sent to the President of the Republic, the Government, the Assembly of the Republic, scientific institutions, local authorities, civil society organisations and other relevant national bodies.
