Representative associations of fishermen and shellfish gatherers from Olhão and Faro they want to see the Armona Pilot Area for Aquaculture Production reduced, claiming that, six years after its creation, "more than 50 percent of the area occupied by APPAA is not being explored".
The organization of Producers OlhãoPesca and the associations Formosa and Residents of Ilha da Culatra once again defended the negative impacts of this project on small fishing, arguing that it limits the activity of those dedicated to traditional fishing, but also for the environment and questioned the Government on the current economic viability of the project and whether its size is justified.
In a letter sent to the Secretary of State for the Sea by these organizations, it is argued that the APPAA “was implemented in an important local and coastal fishing area, in an alternative navigation corridor, as well as in an important area of the Ria Formosa water system, ie , the natural bar of Lavajo”, in the latter case, “the western end of the rectangle attached to the project”.
A location that «inhibits the safe entry and exit of vessels to the sea and, of course, influences the circulation of water, sediment and plankton in the Ria Formosa».
Local fishermen criticized the progress of the project, in the place where it was conceived, since its implementation. «The pilot zone in question occupies a considerable area of the public water domain, (…) which caused and continues to have a negative impact on the traditional fishing and aquaculture sector», reads the same document.
The three associations propose that “a substantive analysis be carried out, in order to assess whether the objectives of the creation of APPAA were effectively achieved, as well as a concrete analysis in order to resize the APPAA, thus freeing up the extensive area. which has not been exploited since its creation'.
And if the associations are already showing reservations about the pilot project being developed in front of the barrier island of Olhão, they are «surprised» by the recent creation of the Tavira Aquaculture Production Area.
«Once again, the Government, the administration, implements a considerable area of aquaculture production, without previously listening and/or consulting the representatives of the local and coastal fishing sector, in a logic of preventing conflicts of interest between uses or activities in space national maritime”, they criticized.
Resize to make room for traditional fishing
The request to resize the area is closely linked to the fact that this aquaculture production area is located on a system of artificial reefs created by Ipimar (which also launched the APPAA) and less than 3 miles from the coast, an area that was used by children fishermen to develop their activity. “Local fishing and 80 percent of inshore fishing are carried out between the quarter and 3 miles from the coast”, illustrated the three associations in the document now sent to the Government.
According to what he had already revealed to the Sul Informação the Association of Residents of Ilha da Culatra (AMIC), APPAA affects fishing communities in the municipalities of Faro, Olhão and even Tavira, with special emphasis on those of Culatra and Fuzeta.
In June 2013, AMIC was received by the Secretary of State for the Sea, a meeting in which he argued for a study on the "social, economic and environmental impact" of the APPAA, to which the member of government will have shown openness. However, as illustrated by the inhabitants of the breech in a new letter to the tutelage, in August, licenses continued to be issued for that production space.
In this process, which included several exhibitions for the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea and Environment, the association always stated that it was not against "aquaculture or other explorations", nor even against the creation of the Armona Production area, "but yes advocate of its relocation or reduction'.
Comments