Deputy Pedro Filipe Soares, from the Left Bloc Parliamentary Group, asked the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action a set of questions about illegal avocado plantations in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, denounced by the Tavira Movement in Transition, such as the Sul Informação reported.
The blockist parliamentarian wants to know if the Ministry “is aware of the situation now denounced” and what “measures the Ministry will take to guarantee the protection of the Ria Formosa Natural Park in relation to this avocado plantation, namely ensuring the legality of operations and the its compatibility with the Natural Park».
The deputy also questions the Government about which area, «in the last 10 years», has been «occupied by avocado plantation in the Ria Formosa Natural Park».
Bearing in mind that it is not the first time that the same Swedish investor has carried out illegal operations in the absence of the authorities and the rules of a protected area, deputy Pedro Filipe Soares also wants to know if the Ministry «confirms the complaints regarding September 2020, April 2021 and June 2021", as well as "what measures have been implemented to make the situation return to legality".
«What processes, sanctions or fines or does the aforementioned businessman target for these situations?», asks the parliamentarian from the Left Bloc.
Finally, the deputy wants to know if “the Government intends to proceed with restrictions on the planting of avocado trees in the Ria Formosa Natural Park”.
In the note sent to the newsrooms, the Left Bloc Parliamentary Group recalls that the Tavira movement in Transition «denounced illegal work to plant avocados at Quinta da Barroquinha, near Cabanas de Tavira, in the heart of the Ria Formosa Natural Park».
According to the movement, “despite several complaints to various entities, complaints to the Public Ministry, lawsuits, embargoes and fines, the agricultural investor continues his illegal avocado plantation work, in a repeat, criminal and disobedient manner”.
It is also stated that the works have already been embargoed by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) which reacted on October 14th. However, the movement denounces that “SEPNA was also informed several times, but nothing and no one can or wants to stop this gentleman”.
The Swedish investor in question has a huge avocado plantation in that area of the Natural Park, with about 65 hectares within a radius of 1,5 kilometers.
According to information provided by the movement, in September 2020, it had already been denounced by the construction without any license of a set of buildings.
In April 2021, he was again denounced for building a stone wall 2 meters high, a road 3 meters wide and a fence, which implied the movement of land and the destruction of the vegetation cover in the protection strip of the lagoon zone.
In June 2021, said entrepreneur continued to cut down trees despite an ICNF embargo.
The Left Bloc Parliamentary Group also recalls that it has “warned about the disproportionate growth of avocado plantations in the Algarve, a region that lacks water and is unsustainable from this type of culture on a large scale. The consequences can be serious, in particular it could jeopardize the protection of biodiversity and the sustainability of water in the region”.
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