Lagos Council increasingly is annoyed at the government’s lack of action to keep the entrance to the river and marina fully navigable.
This requires dregding or, as now, fishing boats and tourism vessels are having to edge their way past the silted up river mouth at the risk of grounding.
The permanent restrictions on the navigability of the area is blamed on the State and has created the "displeasure at the persistence of the poor situation," and the Council recommends the António Costa executive gets its finger out.
The proposal formally to request that the government does its job was put forward by the Lagos mayor, Joaquina Matos, who said the proposal, "deserved the support of the entire town Council."
The proposal points out that accumulated sediment is, "causing serious disturbances both to resident fishermen and to the various operators of so-called tourist-maritime operators and entities with interests in this area, namely the Marina de Lagos, (pictured) the shipyard Sopromar and the Clube de Vela de Lagos.
"The situation has become more acute since the bar/canal area should be about four metres deep at low tide and it’s currently impossible to ensure safe navigation,” added the petition.
On the website of the National Maritime Authority, the information posted about the Lagos entrance never changes, noting 'navigation problems.'
This is not the first time that Lagos Council has called on the Government to see the silt situation resolved.
The Secretary of State for Fisheries waffles that, 'the start of the dredging of the Lagos entrance would have been scheduled for the first half of 2019, although subject to the proper authorisation of dredging and storage of dredged materials, by the Portuguese Environmental Agency.
Joaquina Matos points out that time has slipped by, "It happens that we are in June, at the beginning of the season with the greatest tourist flow, without any indication that the work will begin and it seems to be of the utmost urgency to solve all this situation."
This may be urgent locally, but nationally, delay and dither are in order as the State hates spending money in the Algarve, however needed the investment might be.
