Wild boar, a somewhat dangerous species within the Algarve’s rich biodiversity, is making more of a nuisance of itself closer to the coast this year because of inland wildfires, writes Len Port.

Families of wild boar have been reported enjoying themselves on popular beaches, including Quarteira, Albandeira and Nossa Senhora da Rocha. Mercifully, they stay hidden during the day, only appearing at dusk and dawn, and so do not interfere with human sunbathers.

The GNR’s tax unit has been instrumental in bagging those running an illegal tobacco factory in Loulé.

The Tax Action Unit unleashed an operation on Wednesday, June 25, which resulted in the arrest of 13 individuals between 30 and 65, including Polish, Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian and Portuguese.

"We are prepared," said Eduardo Cabrita, the minister in charge of Internal Administration, commenting on his plans for the safety in the Algarve this coming summer season.

"What we will have over the summer is a boost that allows us to state that we are prepared for a safe Algarve. We are prepared with additional personnel from the PSP, the GNR and a reinforcement of the Borders Police at Faro Airport, "said Cabrita.

Fishermen from the algarve have been asked by Zoomarine to catch and deliver jellyfish to feed the 300-kilogramme turtle found wounded last week, having been caught up in fishing nets at Meia Praia in Lagos.
 
According to Correio da Manhã on Monday, biologists at the Algarve marine and leisure park, nototious for its crowd-pleasing dolphin displays, confirmed that the giant sea turtle "was placed in a larger tank at the rescue centre (Porto d'Abrigo do Zoomarine) in Albufeuira, "but has not accepted food since arriving at  Zoomarine's reception centre."

Portugal’s Environment Minister has announced the legalisation of 190 of 350 properties on the Ria Formosa island of Culatra whose owners had applied for permission.

So far, only ten licences have been granted by the munificent Minister, João Matos Fernandes, who braved the island last Friday with the Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino.

OnStrategy has prepared its ranking of the 15 most valuable brands in Portugal, reading like a Who’s Who of consumer bêtes noires.

The energy sector leads the list with self-serving EDP winning the accolade of most valuable brand in Portugal.

The government has been fannying around again, this time over gas charges that should have been removed from consumers’ bills some two years ago.

The rate charged by municipalities to various natural gas distribution companies is still being added to domestic bills despite the charge to consumers being eradicated in the 2017 State Budget.

Paris-based UN educational and scientific body UNESCO has unveiled the list of projetcs on best practices for the protection of underwater cultural heritage, which includes schemes from France, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Mexico.

Participants at the Meeting of States Parties to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage on 20 June designated the five examples that included the Subaquatic Archaeological Charter of the Azores.