The Center for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) of the University of Algarve (UAlg) is listening to the perspectives of «various decision-making groups and stakeholders» about the problems of Ria Formosa and their causes. The objective is that, in the end, it is possible to arrive at «potential solutions».
The first workshop took place last Monday, July 18, at the Clube Náutico de Faro.
In addition to CCMAR researchers, entities such as the Portuguese Environment Agency, the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation, Tavira, Olhão and Vila Real de Santo António City Councils and the Maritime Police participated in it.
Speaking to journalists, Rui Santos, a researcher at CCMAR, explained that this initiative, which is part of two projects financed by the EEA Grants and the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation, aims to «hear the perspectives that each decision-making group has on the problems, the causes of the Ria Formosa and the solutions».
“There are many problems – what matters here is to know the opinion of those who are not involved in science. Each interest group will show different problems and there will certainly be enormous diversity», he added.
In the end, the objective is to “make these interest groups communicate with each other to arrive at potential solutions that will or will not be applied by those in charge, such as the ICNF”, he added.
These projects take place during this year and also next.
After this first workshop, others follow. "We will include others stakeholders, as the users of the estuary: shellfish gatherers, fishermen, sea-tourists, non-governmental organisations», according to Rui Santos.
In the opinion of the researcher and professor at the University of the Algarve, who has studied the Ria Formosa for years, the problems of this ecosystem are «many».
«It is an area that, due to its natural capital, it was decided to preserve. The problem with these complex systems is that they have a multitude of interactions between natural capital and the users of the estuary, which are very many. And there are also the managers: there are several institutions and that is one of the problems”, he concluded.
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