The Secretary of State for the Sea, Lídia Bulcão, paid a working visit to the Sea Control Centre (CMar) located in Paço de Arcos. During the visit, several crucial issues were discussed regarding the mission of this centre operated by the DGRM, as well as its role in fulfilling its obligations as a Coastal State and Flag State.

The new challenges facing Portugal under the new regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU and Portugal, in the fields of maritime safety, fisheries management and other blue economy activities, in balance with the good environmental status of the ocean, will require this centre to come up with a set of new responses that must be addressed through new projects.

Among other things, the following topics were discussed: extending navigation surveillance and monitoring, strengthening support for the growing Portuguese-flagged fleet, controlling fishing activities, supervising and managing marine protected areas and creating new emission control areas.