“We are equipping Madeira with more resources and greater capacity for intervention and protection,” stated Eduardo Jesus, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment, and Culture, highlighting that two-thirds of the region’s territory, specifically on the island of Madeira, holds reserve or protected area status.

The official was speaking in Funchal at a ceremony welcoming the new members of the Forest Police Corps, a body integrated into the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation under the oversight of the Secretariat for Tourism, Environment, and Culture.

“It is a highly respected institution, viewed very favourably by the general public, and one that commands great respect from everyone who traverses the mountains,” said Eduardo Jesus.

The Forest Police Corps was established in Madeira in 1913 and, unlike the National Forest Guard Corps (which was disbanded in 2006), has remained continuously operational in the archipelago, focusing primarily on enforcement and fire prevention.

According to official data, between January and August, the CPF issued 281 fines for infractions recorded in Madeira’s mountains, including failure to pay trail access fees, using closed trails, and illegal dumping of waste.

The Forest Police Corps personnel are distributed across 25 forest stations: 23 on the island of Madeira and two on Porto Santo.

Among the 36 new members, the largest intake ever, only one is a woman.

The CPF will also add four more members this year through mobility processes, bringing the total staff to 104.

The new members represent an annual budgetary cost of 955,000 euros.