NGOs assess Environment Minister's perfomance as 'poor'

Coalition C6, a Portuguese collective of non-governmental environmental organisations formed by GEOTA, FAPAS, LPN, Quercus, SPEA and the WWF in Portugal, released a statement on Thursday, February 23rd, on its assessment of the Ministry of Environment's nature conservation policies and actions.

The results are not good as the group considers that "the minister's management of nature conservation policy is very negative," adding that his views are based on "preconceived ideas and a clear negative discrimination of the opinion, experience and consideration of organisations."

To illustrate what they refer to as João Mato Fernandes’ mismanagement, the organisations in C6 give some examples of situations that they exposed but were steadfastly ignored by Government.

These include the continuation of the National Dams Plan; the oil and gas exploration contracts off the Alentejo coast; the suspension of game hunting; the new law for the Iberian wolf which C6 says is “a backwards step” in the conservation and protection of the species; the planned construction of Montijo airport and the significant impact this will have on birds and nature; and the recent withdrawal of the complaint to the European Commission concerning the Almaraz nuclear waste facility in Spain.

On the plus side, the National Strategy for Environmental Education, the end of oil and gas exploration contracts held by Portfuel in the Algarve and the disapproval of the Torre de Moncorvo Wind Farm which would seriously have threaten birds of that region, all are positive.

C6 was created in 2015 with the objective of working with civil society, and public and governmental institutions, to defend, protect and value nature and biodiversity in Portugal.

In 2017, C6 says it will organise a campaign to raise awareness and mobilise public opinion in defense of nature in Portugal, starting in November.

Those following the Minister's performance over the Ria Formosa property demolitions could justifiably downgrade his performance rating further, referring to him more correctly as a "lying shit." 

Minister for the Environment, João Pedro Matos Fernandes

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