The power of persistence is paying off as the Save Alagoas Brancas environmental group is to have its voice heard in parliament.Left Bloc MPs now are to demand that the government stops Continente building a supermarket on the wetland bird sanctuary in Lagoa and that the site is reclassified and properly protected.
The Bloquistas are presenting a formal parliamentary petition to stop the freshwater area being filled in and built on by the supermarket group that steadfastly has refused to enter into any dialogue, despite purporting to be consumer focussed and environmentally attuned.
The Left Bloc move, driven by local MP Joao Vasconcelos, certainly is a big step forward in obtaining protection for the valuable wetland site but the party's resolution is by no means certain to succeed.
At the start of February, Socialist Party MPs in the Algarve submitted a wetland protection bill to register and preserve sites in Lagos, Loulé, Silves and Albufeira, notably leaving out Alagoas Brancas.
The MPs said that "despite their ecological, aesthetic and cultural importance, these wetlands have been considered as marginal territories that should be transformed into dry land," and that the Algarve "has a diverse set of coastal wetlands of richness and ecological importance."
All well and good, but Portugal’s Institute of Nature and Forestry already has issued an opinion stating that Alagoas Brancas 'is not wet all year round and is too small to warrant protection.'
All well and good, but Portugal’s Institute of Nature and Forestry already has issued an opinion stating that Alagoas Brancas 'is not wet all year round and is too small to warrant protection.'
The main problem is that the area was marked down for building land in the council’s all-important municipal plan which, says the mayor, went through without anyone creating a fuss.
An additional problem is the cursory and damning opinion of the Institute of Nature and Forestry. An in depth and unbiased study needs to be produced, something the Left Bloc demands and something the environment minister already has asked for.
For a small group of concerned nature and bird lovers, united under the 'Save Alagoas Brancas' campaign heading, the progress that this formal petition to parliament represents is nothing short of remarkable and is a credit to their persistence and care for the environment.
Comments
The Alagoas area is the last fresh water sanctuary for birds this end of the Algarve and it should be saved at all costs .
If the area was managed properly and maintained it could bring a lot of tourism from bird watching to the are in the winter months that would be good for all businesses in the area.
I find that your comments are very critical and offensive with regard to anything relating to Portugal or the people of Portugal, as you continually make crude remarks about daily life of this country. Try to think about the equivalent supermarket in a small town where you come from and you will find that there is no difference to the standard of shopping experience.
possibly you forget that Lagoa is a small town in a coastal area and in the winter there are very few people there, but explodes with activity during the tourist season, it is probably difficult to manage both of these extremes.
Maybe Lagoa has been unlucky to not be served by a properly stocked supermarket. The Continnte supermarket in Tavira is stocked well with all of your food and house hold needs
Shopping centre would benefit from smaller shops that sell specialty items like cheeses or fruit and veg as you can't expect a supermarket to sell everything.
As Continente will (probably and logically) not go over 1000 m² (in direct relation to its "possible universum" automatically their offer will be reduced (and not comparable to Portimão or Guia). Fact that lots of basic articles as well as promotional articles are missing often and or soon, is in direct relation to "the staff's degree of traing, experience and incompetence" (very cheap staff / and lack of knowledge about "facing management"; "stomax management", "seasonal impact", "events impact" and "opportunity management".
So, a new Continente is NOT a guarantee that you will better served and satisfied at all. Sorry I have to tell you that.
On behalf of the existing supermarkets: one of them is "hevimently struggeling" these days...
1 Jumbo most promotions out of stock and limited offer.
2 Intermarche 2x limited offer / too expensive
3 Pingo Doce Limited offer
4 Aldi Limited offer.
5 Apollonia Too expensive / limited offer
6 GI Limited offer
7 Lidl Limited offer/ long distance/ becoming a clothes outlet.
With Limited offer I mean that it is IMPOSSIBLE in either one of these so called supermarkets to buy all your weekly products in one go... There is always the need to visit at least two if not more supermarkets... lack of competition or..? That is why I hope that a real supermarket Joins the menage the wordt that could happen is that prices become more and more competetive... And I am fed up driving to Guia or Portimao to do shopping in one go...
The area will improve if the Camara takes the necessary steps to stop allowing abandoned bussinesses to exist and protects and saveguards nature instead of selling it to the highest bider =(
LIAR...
In cilvilised countries all supermarkets tend to be close to each other... In my homeland I have 6 Hypermarkets within walking distance with only 10.000 inhabitants.... and still they survive....
Can someone explain to me why all pictures carefully avoid the Fatacil industrial park and other nearby buildings... The impression is raised that this is a remote site... THe N125 rpasses on 100 mtrs... and Fatacil Industry is even colser.... To say the least coloured if not faked news...