The Chamber and the associations of the fishing sector of Lagos do not agree with the planned location for the eventual installation of an aquaculture off Ponta da Piedade, a project that, for the municipality, «will pose risks to the local socio-economics».
At issue is the request made by a company for the attribution of an Aquaculture Activity Title (TAA), with a view to installing and operating a marine culture establishment in the open sea, a topic that was at the center of the debate at a meeting that brought together Teresa Coelho, Secretary of State for Fisheries, the executive of the Chamber of Lagos and representatives of fisheries and tourism.
The idea of the company Puro Mar is to produce shellfish on an extensive basis, occupying around 514 hectares, off Ponta da Piedade, in Lagos. The request addressed to the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM) was under public discussion until 22 February.
It was within the scope of this consultation that the Chamber issued an opinion where, «not neglecting the importance of aquaculture and its potential contributions to the economy, it considered that the referred installation would pose risks to the local socio-economy», suggesting the «redefinition of the TAA from a perspective of balance and sustainability between the different sea activities operating in Lagos».
«Equally disagreeing with the intended location, companies and associations in the sea sector also expressed this position in a public discussion, namely Barlapescas – Cooperativa dos Armadores de Pesca do Barlavento CRL, Marlagos SA, Sopromar – Centro Náutico, the Association of Maritime Operators -Tourist and Sailing Club of Lagos», according to the municipality.
At the meeting with the Secretary of State for Fisheries, which was also attended by Isabel Ventura, deputy director of the DGRM, and Sérgio Faias, president of Docapesca, the municipality and the associations were «unanimous» in considering that «the intended location interferes with the activity of hundreds of small-scale fishing vessels in important fishing grounds in the area, an analysis that is reinforced by the study carried out by CCMAR, IPMA, UAlg and WWF in the context of the Participasca on trips to catch octopus».
«Likewise, the indicated location harms the normal activity of sea tourism (recreational boating, nautical tourism, sporting events, maritime-tour operators, ship repairs, for example), affecting the local economy and practices such as teaching sailing , regattas, whale watching and sporting events. Safety is another concern, given that these aquaculture infrastructures affect navigation and put vessels at risk in the event of poor signaling and delimitation of areas», concluded the Câmara de Lagos.
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