The Government approved an amount of 6,9 million euros, plus the Value Added Tax (VAT), for dredging and maintenance of ports in the Algarve between 2023 and 2026, according to a resolution published in the Diário da República.
In the document - published today and approved by the Council of Ministers on August 10 (at the time, without disclosing the content) -, the Government authorizes the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM) to "carry out the expenditure relating to the contract for dredging and maintenance of fishing ports in the Algarve for the period 2023-2026, up to a global amount of (euro) 6.941.455,07, plus VAT at the legal rate in force».
At stake are the fishing and recreational boating ports in the region, "including the ports of Baleeira, Lagos, Alvor, the fishing port, shipyards and area of Ferragudo, the ports of Albufeira, Vilamoura, Quarteira and Faro, with the exception of the commercial port area and access channel, the ports of Olhão, Fuseta and Tavira and the channels of Santa Luzia and Cabanas».
The Council of Ministers established a specific amount for each of the years covered by resolution number 99/2023, of 21 August, which “cannot be exceeded”.
Funds of 60.994,82 euros are allocated for 2023, 2.051.803,67 euros for 2024, 2.521.193,41 euros for 2025 and 2.307.463,17 for 2026, specified the Government decision published today in Diário da Republic.
In the arguments of the resolution, the Government refers that «carrying out maintenance dredging to ensure navigability in fishing and recreational boating ports is of the utmost importance» to guarantee the conditions of access to these ports and the safety of vessels and of the crew.
The executive recalls that the regime for the transfer of jurisdiction over fishing ports and recreational marinas from the Port Institute and Maritime Transport to Docapesca – Portos e Lotas (2014) provides that dredging in the areas under Docapesca’s management will be entrusted to the DGRM.
Therefore, the directorate-general has the «competence relating to carrying out maintenance dredging to ensure navigability in fishing and recreational boating ports», as is the case of Baleeira (Sagres), Lagos and Alvor (Portimão).
It is also in charge of «the fishing port, shipyards and the area of Ferragudo, in Lagoa, the marina of Portimão and the Arade river basin, the ports of Albufeira, Vilamoura, Quarteira, Faro, with the exception of the commercial port area and access channel, Olhão, Fuseta and Tavira and the existing infrastructure on the Guadiana river between Vila Real de Santo António and Mértola».
«The need for efficient management of dredging in these areas makes it urgent to conclude multi-annual contracts, in order to allow dredging operations to be carried out in the most favorable periods or whenever there is a situation of silting that impairs access to a certain port , with risk to the safety of vessels and their crew», the Government also justified.
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