The Culatra Island Residents' Association’s long-running complaint that the Culatra harbour entrance pontoon was tatty, increasingly dangerous and overdue for maintenance has at last been attended to - and in record time.
Ana Paula Vitorino, Minister of the Sea, visited the Ria Formosa island in July and work on the pontoon started at the end of August, taking just a week to complete.
The repair maintenance of the structure, that serves as protection for the port and as a a mooring for the boats used by the Culatra fishermen, consisted of replacing many of the weighty mooring chains that hold the pontoon in place, plus refurbishing the topside surface.
The work was mostly underwater, carried out by diving teams. This cost Docapesca around €30,000.
The work was decided on during talks between Docapesca and the Culatra Island Residents' Association but nobody expected this impressive burst of activity just weeks after the minister's visit.
In June, two further projects were announced by Vitorino, the construction of a new floating pontoon and the building of a raised walkway.
Together, these three projects will cost around €400,000 but there is no start date for the second and third projects.
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What is Docapesca?
Docapesca’s is a state-run company whose first mission in the fishing sector is the sale of fish and activities related to commercial fishing.
It is responsible for "putting in place the appropriate conditions for production and commercialisation by exploring new avenues and competences to ensure the creation of value for the company, its partners and society in general."
Docapesca also has a social remit, "actively to attend to the problems of the ship-owners and fishermen, especially in places traditionally dependent on extractive fishing, in close cooperation with local authorities; in environmental and civic responsibility and in food safety and quality (having introduced standardisation, certification and traceability of marine products and assurance of health and hygiene conditions)."
http://www.docapesca.pt/en.html
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