Summer has arrived - rather later than usual - but it officially has started, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere which is predicting endless sunny days of which memories are made.
Maximum temperatures for the forseeable future will range from 22ºC in the north, Viana do Castelo and Porto, to 30ºC in Castelo Branco, Évora, Beja, Setúbal and the Algarve.
While there is no doubt about the vast scale of the plastic pollution problem, it is far from clear how places like the Algarve are going to cope with the crisis, writes Len Port.*
Marine plastic pollution, particularly microplastic material, is a serious but as yet not fully understood threat to nature and to human health. If it worsens, it will increasingly threaten the economic well-being of communities across the world such as ours that depend on tourism and fisheries.
The Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino, said in Portimão that she sees no reason to ban sardine fishing next year.
Vitorino’s position is diametrically opposed to that of ICES, the fisheries advisor to the European Commission, which is pushing for a 100% ban on sardine fishing next season.
The Regional Government of the Azores has approved a new share issue for its ailing airline, SATA and has spent €27 million on buying up 5.4 million new shares to cover 2017 losses.
SATA will issue 5,400,000 new shares in return for the money, "This decision aims to strengthen the company's net worth and provide it with greater economic and financial strength, making it possible to fulfill its purpose of inter-island air transport," came the limp explanation from the regional government.
One year after the introduction of new legislation that required public service providers to have an electronic complaint book on their websites, most have not bothered, especially the Algarve’s water suppliers where 74% have failed to follow the law.
Consumer organisation DECO has looked at the websites of suppliers in the water, electricity & gas and telecommunications sectors to see if the suppliers had an electronic complaint book. The conclusion is that law is being pretty much ignored.
The Algarve’s tourist board has launched a campaign to encourage all age groups of locals and foreigners to enjoy, respect and protect the region’s natural environment.
"Algarve, Beautiful for Nature" will be publicised until the end of October and focuses on how best to enjoy the natural heritage of the Algarve region.
Following the May initiative on the Ria Formosa island of Armona, when supervised prisoners from Olhão jail worked in the fresh air to clear-up rubbish and cut back vegetation, (HERE) the project is being expanded to the mainland.
In a project involving the local Council and Olhão’s prison service, inmates now are cleaning up rural areas of the municipality, especially in Moncarapacho’s countryside areas.
Airbnb is in trouble with Brussels as its advertised charges often fail to comply with EU transparency laws.
European Commissioner, Vera Jourová, has given the Silicon Valley behemoth an end-of-August deadline to get into shape, or face sanctions.
