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Algarve News: Luxury development approved near Lagoa dos Salgados

Date: 30/11/2009

A new luxury development has been approved for an area adjacent to the Lagoa dos Salgados in the parish of Pêra at a time when environmentalists are fighting for the lagoon to be classified as a natural protected site.

Following the Algarve Resident’s article Where are all the birds? published on page five in the edition of November 20, many readers contacted us to express their concern about the lack of birds at the lagoon and its general condition.

David Malpas, a British ornithologist who lives near the lagoon, said: "The changes at the lagoon are dramatic. In the last two years, it has been a disaster, with frequent draining of the lagoon. Many transient bird species used to stop at the lagoon but they no longer do."

He added that he has suspicions that a development is going to be built next to the lagoon, trapping it between the Herdade dos Salgados resort, which is responsible for its maintenance, and a new development.

Sandra Moreira, a spokesman for Silves Câmara, told the Algarve Resident: "There is a project for the construction of a tourist development to be built nearby, but not in the Salgados lagoon, in the parish of Pêra.

"The project has been approved by all the necessary authorities but a date for construction has not yet been set. A few bureaucratic formalities remain to be dealt with for all the necessary licences."

According to Silves Câmara, this project, which had an environmental impact study, will not affect the lagoon in any way and will not include a golf course.

British resident and birdwatcher Colin Key told the Algarve Resident: "I have been very concerned about the lagoon for seven years now, when I realised that it was being emptied by the Herdade dos Salgados golf club.
"When the water level rises, it damages the golf course so they call in Silves council to bulldoze the sandbar."

According to Colin Key, the bird life at the lagoon has decreased dramatically. "Two or three years ago, there were 1,000 flamingos there and the site is on an eco-tourism map for British bird watchers, but when they come here, there is nothing to see."

In response to reports that Silves Câmara is responsible for breaking the sand barrier to drain the lagoon, Sandra Moreira said: "The Câmara has never done that, although when tides are high, Silves and Albufeira Câmaras are responsible for reconstructing the barrier, closing it as quickly as possible."

She added that in 2008, this had to be done twice during the peak winter season when high tides broke the lagoon’s barrier.

Domingos Leitão, a spokesman from Portugal’s bird association SPEA, said that the Salgados lagoon has IBA status, which is an Important Bird Area but this does not provide any protection status to the site. 

"SPEA continues to pressure the government to classify the lagoon as a special protection area. SPEA aims to reach an agreement to classify the lagoon as a ZPE." He added: "We believe this agreement will be achieved after the implementation of the Salgados management plan, which should happen in 2010."

According to Domingos Leitão, the lagoon is regularly emptied during periods of high tides in March and October or for hygiene purposes at other times of year.

"There is currently an agreement with the regional water authority ARH-Algarve for no emptying to take place between March and June and we are looking into the installation of a passive mechanism to allow the water level to remain stable and excess to drain into the sea."

After many attempts to contact the Herdade dos Salgados, no one was available to comment about this matter at the time the Algarve Resident went to press on Wednesday. Source: The Online Resident

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