NGOs welcome massive pressure to turn Algarve coastal wetland area into nature reserve

Following the less than enthusiastic reaction of Millennium BCP bank to news that wetland areas in the borough of Silves are on their way to being declared a nature reserve, eight NGOs have come out in praise of the situation, declaring it will, “without doubt, constitute an economic and social gain”, not only for Silves but neighbouring municipalities as well.

The eight – A Rocha, ANP/WWF, Almargem, Vita Nativa, LPN, SP Botânica, SPEA and ZERO – have been campaigning to preserve the 400-hectare stretch of land, straddling marshland areas around the Espiche and Alcantarilha streams as well as birding wetland Lagoa dos Salgados, for years. Their belief is that nature reserve status will power all-yearround nature tourism in the Algarve – “a product of elevated touristic quality”, which will help create stable (as opposed to seasonal) employment.

Protecting what is one of the last “untouched” coastal areas of the Algarve is in the interests of everybody, conclude the NGOs, and thus everyone should be called on to participate in its future.

A public participation exercise in this regard closed recently with over 800 commentaries – the majority of them backing the plan wholeheartedly; Silves municipality has already written the reserve into its new town plan (see story above) and 32 foreign organisations dedicated to the protection of migratory birds have given it their thumbs up.

The only fly in the ointment is the threat from Millennium BCP (which inherited an old project for a resort on the site, and believes it should be compensated for its loss).