The dredging of the river Gilão last November and in February 2019, was reported as highly successful with the riverbed cleared of decades of rubbish and an accumulation of detritus.
In March this year, a local man, João Diniz, launched an alert that the beach at Tavira’s Praia Deserta was covered in rubbish. Some of this was cleared up by volunteers and a local waste company, and a campaign was started to force the authorities to clear up the rest.
Due to springtime sea and tide conditions, the beach now is covered in rubbish from the Gilão dredging work.
A tide of garbage lies spread along the sand between Este da Barra de Tavira and Praia de Cabanas.
Plastics, metals, glass, fabrics, car parts, fishing gear and shopping trolleys, among others," explains Diniz in his petition: Responsibility for Environmental Crimes in Tavira. (Responsabilização pelos crimes ambientais em Tavira)
The Environmental Association for the Algarve has been alerted but passed on the complaints to Docapesca, “which did nothing ...” said Diniz on his Facebook page.
Docapesca is responsible for the dredging work and, despite concerns expressed by the local community that the dredged contents of the riverbed were not being taken far enough out to sea for dumping, it now has a real and long-lasting problem on its hands as the beach areas are prime tourist zones and the store of deposited rubbish and decomposing material will continue to appear to the detriment of the beach as an amenity.
The Tavira Fishermen's Association said last year that the dumped silt and rubbish was only 400 metres from the shore line and its spokesman warned that this inevitably, much of it would end up on local beaches.
In November 2018, Docapesca, claimed that the sediment is free of any contamination and could even be used directly on the beaches. It did not mention plastic, metals and material.
"The deposit of sediment is proceeding off the beach of Cabanas-Mar according to the guidelines of the Portuguese Environment Agency and the positive opinion of the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests," sniffed Docapesca, last Autumn and says now that the deposited waste matter was filtered and acceptable to be released at sea as it was 'Class 1' waste.
Perhaps now Docapesca, which says there is no evidence that the deposited rubbish is from the recent dredging work, will arrange dredging of the already dredged and dumped material and dispose of it properly.
You can see the beach HERE
You can sign the petition HERE
