Environmentalist Cláudia Sil, who represents Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on the Co-management Committee of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, says that the nine Algarve Management Plans for Special Conservation Zones (ZEC) which are under public consultation contain «several oddities», starting with the «total absence of mention of seahorses», in the document relating to the Ria Formosa. The ICNF defends itself, ensuring that the protection of this species goes beyond the management plans for Special Conservation Zones.
One of the arguments presented by the environmentalist, who is also part of the Regional Council of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), is actually criticism of the way in which the process takes place.
In a statement, Cláudia Sil highlights that the public consultation lasts only 28 days, which means that «we face an attentive and critical reading of around 10 pages a day just for one of the nine areas presented, full of thousands of scientific names and other terminologies far from being commonplace».
«For example, in the Ria Formosa everyone knows what the sebarrinha, sebas or ribbons of slime are, but who knows what seagrass meadows or Zostera, the designations that appear in both documents, omitting the common names of the species? Isn’t the consultation aimed at ordinary mortals?”, he criticizes.
«Even though we know that this document emerged as if by spontaneous generation and very appropriately aligned with everything that has been written before, even if it is misaligned with what science knows best, the best we can do is to make a foray into nodding from afar to the democracy and demonstrate that, even so, it still exists», he ironizes.
Regarding the lack of reference to seahorses, Cláudia Sil recalls how this «species was selected by the Co-management Commission of the Ria Formosa Natural Park to be part of the commission's logo due to its importance and relevance in that protected area».
«Instead, the species whose common name is shad and lamprey appear among the suggestions of ichthyofauna that attract attention (which do not exist in the Ria Formosa). This results from the joining of two distinct natural areas in the same management drawer”, he accuses.
In response to questions posed by the Sul Informação, the ICNF says that «action to preserve species and habitats is not limited to ZEC Management Plans».
The Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation even reinforces that the seahorse in the Ria Formosa Natural Park is “the target of a specific action plan (Action Plan to Safeguard Seahorses in the Ria Formosa) which even led to the definition of sanctuary areas within this Natural Park».
«In addition, the species indirectly benefits from the management plan in question here, which contributes to the preservation of its habitat», argues the ICNF.
As part of the conservation of natural values in the region, the ICNF says that “an investment of 500 thousand euros was also contracted, between the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), the University of Algarve – Center for Marine and the Environmental Fund for the installation of anchorages on Culatra Island, with a view to organizing navigation».
This Institute emphasizes «furthermore, that the Management Plan of ZEC Ria Formosa/Castro Marim, ZPE Ria Formosa and ZPE Sapais de Castro Marim has a greater territorial coverage than the Ria Formosa Natural Park, therefore it includes species that, despite not occurring in this Natural Park, they exist in other areas of the Ria Formosa/Castro Marim ZEC, such as shad and lamprey».
During the process of preparing the aforementioned management plan, ICNF held meetings with stakeholders local communities, in which NGOs, the University of Algarve, the Algarve Fishing Producers Organization, among others, contributed to the document now under consultation.
The Management Plans for nine Special Conservation Zones (ZEC) located in the Algarve and Alentejo are under public consultation on the portal Participate.pt until May 2th.
The public consultation covers the ZEC of Guadiana, Guadiana/Juromenha, Baroque, Monchique, Arade/Odelouca, Ribeira de Quarteira, Alvor estuary, Ria Formosa/Castro Marim e cauldron.
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