The Provisional Provision presented by the Chamber of Olhão, which allowed the suspension of the demolition process on Ilha da Culatra, did not pass the Court of Appeal, at least at the first time. The municipality of Olhão has already appealed the decision.
The Provisional Provision that prevented the administrative takeover of houses by the Polis Ria Formosa Society, on that barrier island of Ria Formosa, had as its main argument the fact that this intervention could be harmful to chameleons, a protected species that can be found in Culatra.
The argument was validated in a first instance, but, as revealed to journalists by the mayor of Olhão António Pina, in a first assessment by the Court of Appeal, just over a week ago, the judge did not even consider the arguments presented in the request for Provisional Measure, alleging that the municipality of Olhão has no jurisdiction in the territory of the neighboring county, Faro, which belongs to Ilha da Culatra.
António Pina says that this question does not arise, in this case, because the defense of the environment is at stake. “We disagree, and that's why we appeal, because the protection of a species protected by a European convention, such as the chameleon, is not an issue that concerns only the citizens of Faro, but to any Portuguese or European citizen», he defended.
“But don't be for that. If so, I, the socialist deputy elected by the Algarve Luís Graça and a group of people will make a new request for action, as citizens, to analyze the matter of fact and not focus on who puts it up», he added.
Although the Court of Appeal did not grant the request presented by the Chamber of Olhão, António Pina argues that the suspensive effect of the measure remains, until the appeal is evaluated. It is certain that homeowners in the Farole Hangares that demonstrated on Friday, in Olhão, have not yet received new notification letters of the administrative swearing-in, an unavoidable step for the State to take forward the renaturalization.
However, efforts continue to try to stop the demolitions, through the political route. After AMAL having approved a joint motion demanding the end of demolitions, the Minister of the Sea Ana Paulo Vitorino was in Olhão, where she assured a group of anti-demolition protesters that the situation was being studied by the minister of the Environment and that within two weeks 'a consensual solution' will be announced.
António Pina, on the other hand, does not venture to say what a consensual solution will be, in the view of the minister of the Environment, but he says he knows very well what the word means to him. “There has to be a balance in the way this issue has been dealt with for 30 years. We do not defend the absurd theory that there cannot be any demolitions, we agree that some will have to be carried out, in a process of requalification of the nuclei. But we intend to create concession spaces, like the one in Armona for three decades, for the Farole Hangares», he defended.
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