The Parliamentary Group of the PCP wants to know when the dredging advances to «reset the normal conditions of navigability in the bar and in the navigation channel» of Fuzeta, in the municipality of Olhão.
A delegation from the Communist Party, which included the deputy elected by Algarve Paulo Sá, recently met with the Board of the Fuzeta Fishing Shipowners Association, "becoming aware of the serious problems affecting this fishing community."
“Fuzeta's navigation bar and channel are very silted up. At low tide, the depth of water in the bar does not exceed 30 centimeters and in the navigation channel there are areas where it is not possible for vessels to circulate. This circumstance threatens the safety of fishermen and the crews and passengers of maritime-tourist vessels», framed the PCP, in a question addressed to the Minister of Agriculture and the Sea.
The group can even witness the consequences of the heavy siltation of the access channel to the Ria Formosa. “The PCP delegation was able to witness, during their visit, an accident with an 8,5 meter vessel that, when approaching the pier, ran aground, having to wait for the high tide to release”, they say.
Another problem pointed out was the deteriorating state of the port and the deficient loading and unloading conditions. “In some points, the sandbanks do not allow boats to get close enough to the access ladders, at low tide, forcing the fishermen to perform true balancing numbers to reach the pier”, they describe.
In January, the reporter from Sul Informação there were witnessed the consequences of a fisherman's accident, who was trying, precisely, to get out of his boat to land and ended up falling overboard, being injured during the fall.
In addition to the security issue, the PCP also points to economic problems. «The silting up of the bar and the navigation channel also reduces the profitability of fishing and maritime-tourism activities, since the entrance and exit of the bar and the use of the navigation channel are strongly conditioned by the tides", they say.
“Fuzeta lives essentially from activities linked to the sea, so the silting up of the bar and the navigation channel, if not stopped, could even jeopardize the survival of this community”, warned the communists.
Delays in the payment of compensation to fishermen by the Fisheries Professionals Wage Compensation Fund, as well as in the issuance of various permits, were other issues addressed by fishermen.
“The PCP delegation was told a case of a fisherman who requested in October 2014 an authorization to replace his vessel's engine – which is out of order – and has not yet received an answer. Since that time, the vessel has been immobilized and the fisherman has been deprived of his livelihood,” they said.
Thus, the Parliamentary Group of the PCP questioned the Government about dredging in Fuzeta, about the works to rehabilitate the wharf of the Fishing Port, about the significant delays in the payment of compensation to fishermen by the Salary Compensation Fund for Professionals of Fisheries, as well as the issuance of various authorizations by the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services.
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