The Regional Secretary for Education and Environment announced on São Jorge that the Government of the Azores will implement an incentive system for the maintenance of traditional landscapes throughout the archipelago.

"We are preparing the legal framework on an incentive system for the maintenance of traditional landscapes that are part of classified areas throughout the Region, including vineyards and orchards in "currais" (plots protected by stone walls), "fajãs" (detritic platform) and on terraces," revealed Luís Neto Viveiros. The government official spoke on Thursday during the Seminar "Biosphere Reserves - A contribution to local development."

Speaking at the opening session of the seminar, held under the 12th International Meeting of REDBIOS, Luís Neto Viveiros stressed the "extraordinary success of the support measures for the renewal of Pico vineyard culture landscape in recent years." In this context, the government official stressed that "protected areas are being sought after" by tourists visiting the Azores, who regard them "as privileged places for leisure activities."

In this regard, the government official revealed that the Network of Regional Environmental Awareness Raising Centres was visited by over 100 thousand people in the first eight months of this year.

For Luís Neto Viveiros, the increase of visitors seeking Nature Tourism "represents new business opportunities in this area and, simultaneously, brings added responsibility to public powers and to citizens in general in the sustainable management of these resources."

"Nature conservation, biodiversity and geodiversity are the main priorities for the Government of the Azores since they are local development factors and pull factors," said the government official.

For the Regional Secretary, "the great challenge necessary involves the implementation of environmental conservation and sustainability measures and boost Nature, which is one the main regional assets, as a factor in the generation of wealth and jobs."

"I am sure that the seminar we are promoting here, together with REDBIOS, will be a further contribution to the assertion of these two strategic purposes - protecting without limiting and developing without destroying - towards an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable Azores," said Luís Neto Viveiros.