The head of the Institute of Lifeguards, Nuno Leitão, said today that there are 3,000 more licensed lifeguards than there are jobs but beach concession-holders already are complaining that there are not enough lifeguards to go around and that safety is jeopardised.
This is all rather late to resolve as the official swimming season opens on June 1st so many beaches may start the summer without the necessary cover.
Nuno Leitão says there are 7,400 certified lifeguards in Portugal vying for 4,100 jobs at 1,250 registered swimming beaches.
The president of the national beach concession-holders association, João Correia, says that there simply are not enough trained lifeguards filling the positions.
The shortages are focused on the mid-west and north west coasts rather than in the Algarve and Alentejo’s beaches but overall, safety is compromised at the start of what looks like being a record year for Portugal’s tourism industry.
"The situation is very serious. Security is completely undermined," said Correia but the head of the Institute of Lifeguards sticks to the line that hiring lifeguards is "the responsibility and obligation of the concession-holders."
"The problem is that many dealers have other priorities and leave the hiring of lifeguards until the last minute. Then, what happens is that everyone has chosen other places to work and there is no lifeguard available," said Nuno Leitão.
The economics of the market means that beach concession-holders with busy businesses in the Algarve and Lisbon will be able to pay higher wages for lifeguard cover, up to €1,000 a month, leaving those quieter beaches with lower concession incomes unable to afford such rates of pay.
Another concern are the 350 kilometres of unguarded beaches but these now are patrolled by the GNR and Maritime Police at an estimated cost of €500,000 a year.
The Institute of Lifeguards’ commander says there will be various safety awareness campaigns for swimmers this summer but as for the unguarded beaches, local councils must find a solution quickly.
