Lagoa dos Salgados: Millenium/BCP “threat” with millionaire compensation claim

The CEO of Millenium/BCP threatens the Portuguese State with a millionaire compensation claim if it advances the classification of Lagoa dos Salgados, in the municipality of Silves, as a natural reserve.

In an email sent on 7 January to the Ministers of the Environment and Economy (Matos Fernandes and Siza Vieira), to which the Sul Informação had access, CEO Miguel Maia expresses his "apprehension and perplexity" at the news, which he will have learned through the media, regarding the classification of 400 hectares on the coast of the municipality of Silves, which include Lagoa dos Salgados, the Marsh of Pêra/Alcantarilha, as well as all the lands between these wetlands and the dune cord.

Now, in about 110 of these 400 hectares, there is a land for which companies that today are owned by the BCP Group – Finalgarve, Bichorro and Fiparso – foresee a project for 4000 tourist beds, with hotels, villas and a golf course, right at the shore of Lagoa dos Salgados.

Considering that there are "fully valid acquired rights" and using legal opinions from four specialists from the universities of Coimbra and Lisbon (see the chronology below), Miguel Maia threatens the two ministers with a request for "compensation" for the damages that those companies of the BCP Group will allegedly suffer if the Nature Reserve advances, losses that he estimates at «100 million euros».

At a time when it takes place, until tomorrow, January 20th, the public discussion on the classification proposal of Lagoa dos Salgados as a Nature Reserve, those responsible for that bank cling the issue of approval, by the City Council and later by the Municipal Assembly of Silves, in December 2007, of the Execution Unit 1 of the Praia Grande Detailed Plan, which refers precisely to the mega tourist project promoted by companies from the BCP Group.

Yesterday, during the public clarification session on the Nature Reserve proposal, promoted by the Câmara de Silves and the Almargem association, at the Parish Center of Pêra, with the physical presence of more than forty people and the online participation of several dozen others, the The legal situation of this Detailed Plan (PP) was explained by councilor Maxime Bispo, who is himself a jurist.

«The Plan does not confer rights, it only confers expectations», defended the councilor, adding that «the current executive of the Municipality of Silves does not see himself in the PP of Praia Grande, which is dated, is outdated». Furthermore, he added, “the execution of this Plan is very conditioned”, because only a small part of the land is actually owned by Finalgarve.

In fact, explained Maxime Bispo, the new Silves PDM, published in January 2021, so a year ago, despite not revoking the Praia Grande PP (for procedural reasons), does not provide for the construction of a tourist resort in the area, but yes, «rustic occupation and natural space», which, he stressed, «is perfectly compatible with the whole logic of the classification of Lagoa dos Salgados».

«Do we want to persist in a model of the Algarve coastline with concrete and mass tourism, with precarious employment? Or do we prefer to invest in sustainable activities, in taking advantage of environmental values, in qualifying, to attract another type of tourism, with another quality, with more money, which guarantees jobs with some security, so that people can have a quality of life here in the territory?”, asked the councilor of the Silves Chamber. Moreover, he added, “what territory do we want to bequeath to future generations?”.

Maxime Bispo concluded: «the Detailed Plan of Praia Grande is in a coma and is just waiting for someone to turn off the machines». Who will? The mayor didn't say so, but therein lies the crux of this whole matter.

In a public consultation process that is proving to be one of the most participated ever at national level – already has close to 800 participations - in addition to the Millennium/BCP, there are others who are not comfortable with the classification of the area as a natural reserve. For this reason, last week, a petition from some landowners to be covered by the classification arrived at the Municipality of Silves, expressing their concern.

Interestingly, yesterday, at the public clarification session in Pêra, none of these owners was present, at least no one identified himself as such.

Bearing in mind that the public discussion phase, which started on December 9th and ends tomorrow, January 20th, is open to all, it is assumed that those who signed the petition will also present their concerns on the Participa.pt portal. or by other means provided for participation. As Councilor Maxime Bispo stressed, “owners can participate in this process, which is public and transparent”.

Anyway, from what was said in the session, these owners can be more relaxed. The eventual creation of the Nature Reserve will not mean «prohibiting everything», as highlighted by Anabela Santos, leader of the Almargem association, or Joaquim Castelão Rodrigues, regional director of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), which promotes the proposed classification of the Lagoa. dos Salgados.

«There will have to be an active management of the nature reserve, people will have to be able to enjoy the spaces, they will have to participate in that management, even to be proud of this reserve, which is a unique space», underlined Anabela Santos. «Hotels with golf courses? No! But agrotourism, yes!, there are conditions for that».

Castelão Rodrigues, for his part, spoke of the possibility of re-promoting agricultural activity on the land covered by the future reserve, namely by recovering the dry orchard (almond and fig trees) or promoting the vineyard, as well as maintaining grazing (at the moment there are two flocks of sheep to use the area).

This ICNF official also added that the future nature reserve will be managed under a “co-management” regime, the new system that includes the participation of Municipal Councils, public and private entities and citizens. In fact, the Executive Committee of the protected area under co-management is always chaired by (or by) the mayor.

There will also be space for nature activities and for the action of tourist entertainment companies, namely those that, every day, take tourists to Lagoa dos Salgados to go hiking and, above all, to watch birds.

«Lagoa dos Salgados is one of the most visited spaces in the whole country, either by people who want to know nature and watch birds, or by technicians and scientists from various national and international institutions», underlined Domingos Leitão, executive director of the Sociedade Portuguese for the Study of Birds (SPEA), also participating in the session in Pêra.

The rules and future uses will be enshrined in a management plan and in the regulation, whose discussion, also public and involving everyone, will advance after classification as a natural reserve.

In order to contest the alleged “acquired rights” by the promoters of the tourist development planned for the Praia Grande Detail Plan area, the classification proposal advances with the environmental values ​​in question.

Now, on Saturday, during a day of activities for the public promoted along the 400 hectares of the future nature reserve, these values ​​were clearly visible to all.

André Carapeto, specialist from the Portuguese Botany Society, who guided one of the tours, discovering the flora and habitats of that vast area, drew attention above all to the presence of the most important nucleus of the algarvian linaria, an already very rare and exclusive species in the Algarve, which is of priority protection according to community legislation.

In the entire Algarve region – and in the world, since it only exists here – the population in the best state of algarvian linaria is that of Salgados, therefore this area is essential for the survival of the species. The remaining existing populations are small and outside protected areas and are therefore liable to disappear.

André Carapeto, who knows the terrain like no one else, as far as flora is concerned, explained to the Sul Informação that this plant is a «therophyte», that is, the plant completes its life cycle in the same year, dying at the end of the cycle, before winter, but leaving seeds underground, which will germinate the following year. It needs, therefore, an area with some vastness to be able to leave its seeds well spread and thus survive.

André Carapeto added that, in addition to the known occurrences near Praia Grande, nuclei of algarvian linaria in the area that would be occupied by urbanization, so its management and survival is not viable if the resort advances.

The public discussion on the creation of the Lagoa dos Salgados Nature Reserve will take place until tomorrow and everyone can participate and give their opinion. Almargem, on behalf of the Lagoa dos Salgados Participatory Movement, prepared a manual for using the portal Participate.pt, as well as a draft opinion, which can be freely copied and used by all. Click here to learn more.