There are already at least three illegalities committed by the owner of a land on the edge of the Ria Formosa, near Cabanas de Tavira, in the middle of the Natural Park. This time, despite the work having already been embargoed by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), the felling of trees and earthmoving continues, as well as the removal of stones.
The complaint was made this Wednesday, the 9th, by the Movimento Tavira em Transição, which points out that “the owner of the land is a repeat offender in the repeated practice of, at least, environmental infractions, while disrespecting an embargo that had already been imposed by the ICNF to the works', being, therefore, 'repeatedly practicing a crime of disobedience'.
In fact, in September 2020 and April 2021 illegal work being carried out in the same place, owned by a Swedish businessman, such as the Sul Informação then reported.
At the time, the ICNF filed records and the works were embargoed, and the owners were forced to restore the land in the exact conditions they were in before the illegal intervention. Only, as confirmed to our newspaper, the regional director of ICNF in the Algarve, the owner did not even respond to official communications.
This time, turning a deaf ear to the embargo, illegal interventions on the ground in question continue. According to the Movimento Tavira em Transição, “autochthonous tree and shrub species, namely about 90 centenary fig trees” were destroyed. The «clearing and alteration of the terrain profile and destruction of vegetation cover» was also carried out, as well as «large-scale land movements» and «alteration of the terrain topography through the creation of ridges, slopes and ditches»…all this in full Natural Park of Ria Formosa.
The citizens' movement now fears that «the North/South orientation of the planting lines, exactly in the direction of the slope towards the Ria Formosa» will cause «the runoff of agrochemicals and fertilizers to occur directly into this protected landscape, with evidently disastrous consequences for this already so threatened ecosystem».
Even if it is, as they suspect, the preparation of the land for an agricultural activity (avocado plantation), the fact that the area is, albeit partially, in a National Ecological Reserve (REN), «forces that there has to be a communication prior to CCDR Algarve». In fact, the part of the land closest to the Ria Formosa is right on the cliffs/cliffs protection strip enshrined in REN. But no prior communication was made.
As can be seen from images from Google Earth (above), this is not the first time that illegal interventions have taken place on the Swedish businessman's land, a long stretch of land between National Road 125 and Ria Formosa, located in Sítio da Caiana, Morgado da Conceição de Tavira.
In September of last year, the construction without any license of a number of buildings (which did not exist in 2019, as evidenced by Google Earth images) had already been reported. Last April, the construction of a two meter high stone wall, a three meter wide road and a fence, all involving illegal land movements and destruction of vegetation cover in the protection strip of the lagoon zone.
However, because these allegations have not resulted, for the time being, in any type of sanction for the alleged offender, this time, the complainants of this illegality even demand that the ICNF refer «to the Public Ministry of the District where this land is located, the factors now denounced, as well as all the previous proceedings, in order to initiate a criminal process for the alleged practice of the crime of disobedience and for an environmental crime».
The complaint was sent to the GNR's SEPNA, the chairman of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission, the ICNF/Algarve Preventive Surveillance and Inspection Division and the General Inspection of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Planning Territory (IGAMAOT).
Click here to know the full report made by the Tavira Movement in Transition
Photos: Tavira in Transition
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