Dredging at the Recreational Dock of Faro started this Monday. After many years of waiting and a contest that was deserted, advances this long-requested intervention, albeit only in half of the dock.
The work, which should take around three months, will only focus on the eastern part of the dock, between the entrance and the Clube Naval de Faro (GNCF). The dredging of the western part, in the area closest to the captaincy, is the responsibility of the GNCF, which is the concessionaire for this infrastructure.
Still, this investment of 335 euros – well above the 100 thousand euros initially foreseen, but below the 375 thousand base price of the contest – will allow to solve one of the major problems experienced by users of the dock, access to infrastructure.
“This is an intervention that hasn't been done for over 25 years. Although significant, this will not be an exaggerated investment, and it solves a long-standing problem», he illustrated to Sul Informação José Apolinário, Secretary of State for Fisheries, who was linked to the genesis of this process, at the time he was president of Docapesca, the company responsible for the intervention.
With this intervention, 16 thousand cubic meters of sediment will be removed from the Doca de Recreio de Faro. The intervention area is 17500 square meters (1,75 hectares).
In addition to "replacing the operating conditions" of the Dock, this investment is also aimed at "renovating the area of the pontoon used by fishermen", according to the Ministry of the Sea.
«The dredging advances because there was a sum of wills. This is only possible because the various entities involved are paddling in the same direction», considered José Apolinário.
And rowers are not few. In addition to Docapesca, the owner of the work, this project has the collaboration of the Chamber of Faro, of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, Captaincy of the Port of Faro and Naval Club Gym Faro.
"We also have the dock users, without the collaboration of which it would not be possible to intervene, as they will have to divert their boats, so that the work can be carried out", illustrated the member of the Government.
This combination of wills had already taken place before and allowed the progress of the «works for the requalification of the dock walls, which cost around one hundred thousand euros».
At the time when it launched the tender for this work, Docapesca anticipated that, after the dredging was completed, “conditions would be met to carry out the rehabilitation of the floating platforms”, a work that has an estimated cost of 30 euros.
As for the removal of silt in the western part of the Dock of faro, it will have to be the Ginásio Clube Naval to advance, as the concessionary entity of the space.
And the work that is already underway has only advanced because there are fishermen using this port. «Taking into account the current conditions of this dock and since there is a fishing nucleus in the interior of the Port of Faro, Docapesca–Portos e Lotas SA considered that it should contribute to ensuring the best conditions for fishermen and shellfish collectors who carry out their activity there, through dredging that allows the operation of these professionals in safety, as well as the rehabilitation of their floating piers and access to the gas station», justified Docapesca, at the time it launched the tender.
The dredging outside the dock will have to wait. Although it is also necessary to clear the access channel to this infrastructure, this work will only be able to proceed “after carrying out an environmental impact study on dredged products”, bearing in mind that this is the Ria Formosa, a protected area.
“This is an intervention that will have to wait for another time. The next step will be the redevelopment of the Portas do Mar quay», once again in collaboration with the City Council of Faro, according to José Apolinário.
Photos: Nuno Costa|Sul Informação
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