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The Algarve Report Wednesday 26th April 2023

by Mike Evans

Good day to you all and this week we have to start by commenting on the exceptionally warm weather we are experiencing for this time of the year. According to the “experts’ we are enduring temperatures which are on average 5 degrees warmer than we should expect for April. Whether this is down to Global Climate change or just an anomaly we should all be looking to make sure we are prepared for this type of weather in the future as scientists tell us it isn’t going to get cooler.

For those of us who live in a rural area the big issue as we get into Summer is Fires and as we have been promoting on our Facebook page for the past few weeks there is an increased danger of fires near our homes if we dont make sure our land around our properties is kept low so in the event of a fire the chance of spread is lessened. If you live next to an area where vegetation is high and the land is not looked after you can inform the GNR who will assess the situation and if they deem the need to have the area cut back will arrange it and bill the owner.

Last week in my report I wrote about the lack of water in the Algarve and this was again reiterated this past week by a report detailing a plan to move water from one reservoir to another. Whilst this is a short term fix the long term solution has to be found and soon as the expected desalination plant earmarked for the Albufeira area is not due to be in action before 2026.The worsening of the drought in the Algarve should force reflection on the region’s development model to define which activities may have a future in a scenario of water scarcity, defended the president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve (AMAL).

“What we are doing is, at least, ensuring that there is no shortage of water for the urban water cycle and, then, we need to think about what activities, what type of agricultural production can be carried out, with water in ever-decreasing quantities” , said António Miguel Pina.

Without water many of the traditional aspects of farming could disappear as our first news article describes below.

Another aspect of the good weather is that for many the warm weather means assuming the sea is warm and as locals will know this is not the situation. We have seen a number of incidents in the past couple of weeks where people have been caught in Rip Currents and have been taken out by the winds. Luckily as in the case of the young girl of 17 who was swept out to sea on a paddle board, there was a good ending and she was seen by a passing cargo vessel. For others, the outcome has not been as good so it is very important that people make themselves and any guests they may be entertaining, aware of the dangers which are all around the coast.

Now a look at some of the stories that have been happening in the region in the past week

Future of Agriculture is at Risk due to Drought

The lack of rain and available water is aggravating drought levels, preventing the development of pastures in the countryside and making livestock farmers in the Algarve worried about the future, said one producer.

Nuno Coelho considered that the lack of rain has affected the growth of the pastures, but also the diversity of available species, reducing the time in which the animals can feed themselves in the field and forcing producers to resort to feed and forage, increasing the costs of production.

“The situation is worse than last year. Last year we had a bad autumn/winter, but then in the winter/spring it got better, and the pastures still managed, but this year the opposite happened. We had a wet autumn, which ended up giving some encouragement to the dams, but since that time, we’ve spent the winter, so to speak, without rain”, he said. The situation tends to “become worse and worse”, because “the plants do not have the adequate growth and development and, year after year, the variety of biodiversity in the seed bank in the soil is worse and worse”, he justified.

“One hectare of land, for my animals, allowed them to graze there for 15 days, very easily, and at this moment, maybe in three or four days they clear the land”, exemplified the producer, who has a herd of purebred goats. Algarvia in northeastern Algarve.

In order to maintain the activity and “be able to more or less bear the expenses”, Nuno Coelho said that he has already “drastically” reduced the number, going from the 130 animals he had three years ago to the approximately 60 goats that currently make up his herd.

“Expenses remain the same, that is, the business was no longer very profitable and, now, it is not profitable at all”, he lamented, warning that “resilience” is needed to maintain livestock activity in the Algarve and rely on other sources of income. income, as is your case, to cover losses that “threaten the survival” of producers.

Nuno Coelho also warned that, if this is not the case, “many people abandon the activity or think of other ways to stay in the territory with other activities”. “The rain doesn’t come, we don’t order it, and there’s no big way to reverse that. We have to be resilient, trying to keep things in the best possible way, adapting, perhaps, some ways of handling these realities, but if there is no water, there is no life, and I don’t see a great future for livestock, not only here in the mountains , as in the whole of the Algarve”, he warned.

Nuno Luís, who also has a herd of around 300 goats in the northeast Algarve, close to the Spanish border and one of the areas of the Algarve most affected by drought, said that the lack of water and rising costs are threatening the activity of producers of cattle.

“The situation has been critical. With the lack of water, the pastures have all dried up and it’s very complicated”, said the producer, regretting that the sowing of pastures made in October did not grow due to the lack of rain and water.

Nuno Luís explained that the pastures “will no longer produce anything they should”, because “it still rained in November and December, but now, in the spring, when it should have rained more, it didn’t happen” and the plantations did not grow.

“We had sown for the summer, we spent money making the plantations, and now we will have to spend more money on feed and straw”, he added, stressing that the initial idea was to be able to feed the cattle in the field until the summer, but “in the By the end of April everything will be dry”.

Added to this is also the rise in production costs, such as feed, which are around 13 euros for a 25-kilogram bag, when three years ago eight euros were paid for a 40-kilogram bag, he said, stressing that this causes “an additional expense of around 1,000 euros a month” to feed the herd.

The prices paid for each goat still “raised a little”, going from 45 to 50 euros, but that amount “is also not enough to cover the additional expenses”, which are making the activity “more difficult from year to year”.

“Before, we had a bad year and three or four good ones. Now, we’ve had bad years after bad years and the activity is getting harder and harder,” he concluded.

Kayaker Rescued by Ferragudo Lifeguard Station

The crew of the Ferragudo Lifeguard Station helped, on Sunday afternoon, a 37-year-old woman of French nationality, who suffered an accident while kayaking between Praia da Marinha and Praia do Barranquinho, in the municipality of Lagoa.

“Following an alert received at 1:47 pm, via the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Lisbon), the crew of the Ferragudo Lifeguard Station were immediately activated,” says the National Maritime Authority in a statement.

Upon arrival at the site, it was found that the kayaker had suffered an accident, which resulted in “a fracture in the upper right limb”. The victim was rescued by the crew of the Lifeguard Station to Benagil beach, where he was assisted by the Lagoa Volunteer Firefighters and later transported to a hospital unit.

Man’s Body found on Beach near Sagres

The body of a man was found on the morning of this Friday, April 21, floating near Martinhal beach, in Sagres , announced the National Maritime Authority.

The alert was given at 07:00 by a fisherman who was at the scene and elements of the Local Command of the Maritime Police of Lagos and of the Lifeguard Station of Sagres, in addition to the Volunteer Firefighters of Vila do Bispo, were immediately activated .

The body was collected from the water and transported to Porto da Baleeira, and death was declared on the spot by the health delegate. The victim was later transported to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Portimão by the Volunteer Fire Department of Vila do Bispo, where his identification will be confirmed.

The Lagos Maritime Police Local Command took care of the occurrence.

Man arrested in São Bartolomeu de Messines for drug trafficking

A 36-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday, April 18, in São Bartolomeu de Messines , in the municipality of Silves , for drug trafficking, announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).

The arrest was made by the Territorial Command of Faro, through the Núcleo de Investigação Criminal de Silves, as part of an investigation that had already been under way for about two months.

After a police diligence and a house search, 30 cannabis plants, 1,051 kilos of cannabis plant heads, 139 vases with cannabis plants in the germination phase, three greenhouses, a smart TV, a laptop, a mobile phone, a precision scale, a crusher, a sieve and other utensils for preparing the narcotic product. The suspect, who has a criminal record, was present at the first judicial interrogation at the Judicial Court of Silves.

Five People Arrested for Theft In Albufeira

Four men and a woman were arrested on Wednesday, April 19, for theft in Albufeira , announced the National Republican Guard (GNR).

The arrest of the suspects, aged between 17 and 31, was carried out by the Territorial Command of Faro, through the Territorial Post of Olhos de Água , during a patrolling action.

The Guard military found a man lying down and injured in the street, who claimed to have been something from a robbery by a group of five people, who fled towards the Oura area, after stealing the victim’s cell phone. The GNR went to the scene and found the suspects, who, after a security check, one of them was in possession of the stolen cell phone.

During the search, two more mobile phones were seized, one of which may be related to another theft.

The detainees, two of them with criminal records for theft and illegal possession of weapons, were presented at the Judicial Court of Albufeira the following day

Motorcyclist Dies in Accident Near Patacao.

A woman died this Wednesday following a collision between a motorcycle and a light vehicle in Patacão, Faro municipality , which also caused two injuries, one in serious condition, said a Civil Protection source.

The alert for the accident was given at 20:07 and the victims are between 35 and 40 years old, said a source from the Algarve Sub-regional Command.

In addition to the fatal victim, a woman who was riding the motorcycle, the accident also injured two men, one in serious condition, he said. On site were elements of the Sapadores de Faro, INEM and GNR firefighters , a total of nine operational, supported by five vehicles.

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 19 April 2023

Good day to you all and with a very hot start to April in the Algarve and a bumper Easter holiday for the tourism industry you could be mistaken for thinking everything is Rosy!

The lack of rain in the spring is impacting on the water situation in the Algarve with reservoirs well below the levels they should be at this time of the year with the summer barely starting. In a report published recently it showed that in the Algarve on  March 31, 48% of the territory was in meteorological drought, while on the last day of February the percentage was 28%. The meteorological drought situation increased in mainland Portugal during the month of March, worsening in the southern region, according to the latest climate bulletin from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere ( IPMA ).

According to the IPMA, there was an increase in the intensity of the meteorological drought in the southern region, with emphasis on the districts of Setúbal and Beja and some places in the eastern Algarve, which are in the severe drought class.

On the other hand, in the North and Central regions there was a decrease in the rain classes and some places in the Northeast region were already in the weak drought class, on the last day of the month. At the end of March, 24% of the territory was in the normal class, 23.7% in weak drought, 15.5% in light rain, 14.2% in moderate drought, 10.2% severe drought and 2.4% in moderate rain.

The IPMA pointed out  that at the end of March, the values ​​of the percentage of water in the soil showed a  decrease throughout the territory, with the exception of the north coast where there was an increase in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and part of the district of Vila Real.

The institute classifies the drought meteorological index into nine classes, which vary between “extreme rain” and “extreme drought”. In addition to the drought index, the IPMA Climatological Bulletin indicates that the month of March was classified as hot and dry.

The average values ​​of the average, maximum and minimum temperature were higher than normal in March. With regard to precipitation, the IPMA advances that the average value of the amount of precipitation in March, 47.9 millimetres, corresponds to 78% of the normal value.

It is for everyone to save as much of this precious commodity as we can so here are a few ideas which can help on an individual basis.

• Check your toilet for leaks.

Put a few drops of food colouring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the colouring begins to appear in the bowl., you have a leak that may be wasting more than 100 gallons of water a day.

•  Put a plastic bottle in your toilet tank

Put an inch or two of sand or pebbles in the bottom of a one litre bottle to weigh it down. Fill the rest of the bottle with water and put it in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanism. In an average home, the bottle may save five gallons or more of water every day without harming the efficiency of the toilet. If your tank is big enough, you may even be able to put in two bottles.

• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and while shaving

Before brushing, wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing your mouth. When ready to shave Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water in which to rinse your razor.

• Use your automatic dishwasher for full loads only and Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads only.
• Take shorter showers

A typical shower uses 20 to 50 litres of water a minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rise off.

6. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator

This puts a stop to the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.

Now a quick look at some of the other news from around the region in the past week.

Man Arrested in Portimao for Theft and Kidnapping in Gaia.

The Northern Judiciary Police located and detained, in Portimão, a suspect “heavily indicted” for committing the crimes of robbery, kidnapping and aggravated theft, committed on October 5, 2022, in Vila Nova de Gaia, informed that force.

On that date, the now detained man, together with two other defendants, arrested at the end of March of this year and who were given the coercive measure of obligation to stay in the house, approached the victim on the public road and, with the pretext of consuming products narcotics, they went together to a neighbourhood in the city of Porto, where they proceeded to purchase them, says the PJ in a statement.

“Later, in order to subtract all the money that the offended person had in his possession, they took him to the residence of one of the defendants and there they attacked him and kept him deprived of his freedom for a few hours, until they obtained their intentions”, he clarifies. Later, adds the PJ, they abandoned him in a field, about five kilometres from his place of residence, having then gone to his residence, where they also stole a motorcycle.

The detainee, aged 39, without any professional activity, with a criminal record for theft and robbery, was presented to the competent judicial authority for the first judicial interrogation, and was remanded to prison to await a full trial.

Couple Arrested on Suspicion of Stabbing 19 Year Old Girl in Albufeira who later Died

The couple suspected of having stabbed a 19-year-old girl who ended up dying on Sunday, April 16, in the morning in Albufeira , were arrested and will be presented to a judge, said a police source.

The Judiciary Police spent the day in this Algarve city listening to witnesses and carrying out the investigation, after the alert was given to firefighters at 06:30 and the GNR was also called to the scene.

The victim was still alive when firefighters arrived, but emergency medical services declared the young woman dead around 07:30. The same source explained that a knife was used in the aggression, which has since been recovered, and indicated that there are suspicions that it was a “disagreement between kids” in the context of nightlife.

The incident took place on Rua da Oura , with several bars and many frequented by domestic and foreign tourists.

According to the information available to the authorities, the victim and the suspects are of Portuguese nationality.

Three Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Portimao

Three people aged between 23 and 33 were arrested on Wednesday, April 12, on suspicion of drug trafficking and possession of a prohibited weapon in Portimão , announced the Public Security Police (PSP).

One of the people was arrested as part of an investigation delegated by the Portimão Public Prosecutor’s Office into the commission of crimes of offence to physical integrity, aggravated threat and possession of a prohibited weapon, following the fulfilment of three search warrants, where a weapon was seized 6.35mm calibre firearms and a firearm reproduction.

During a surveillance action to prevent drug trafficking, two more people were arrested in flagrante delicto, having seized 161 doses of heroin, 25 doses of cocaine, eight doses of hashish and 465 euros.

49th Anniversary of the Carnation Revolution celebrated across the Algarve

And finally with The 25th April sees the 49th Anniversary of the Carnation Revolution as it has come to be known as and many towns and councils are organising celebrations to mark the historic event. 

In Loule, Between the 21st and 25th of April, the Carnation Revolution of 1974 will be remembered with various activities that will take place in Loulé , announced the municipality.

The first activity takes place on April 21, at 6:30 pm, at the Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen Municipal Library, with the presentation of the book “Exílios no Feminino – Sete Paths of Struggle and Hope”, by Priscila Soares, under the heading “ Open Books”.

The night of April 24th will be marked by a musical show at Cineteatro Louletano by A Garota Não and by Brazilian artist Luca Argel, entitled “Country that nobody invades”.

The 25th of April begins with the usual raising of the National Flag, in front of the Town Hall, at 10:00 am, with the participation of the Philharmonic Band Artists of Minerva and Municipal Firefighters.

Afterwards, a formal session of the Municipal Assembly will take place at the Cineteatro Louletano, starting at 10:30 am, with Priscila Soares as a special guest, who will make a speech with the theme “A Woman in the Mountains, after April”.

This session will also include the participation of the mayor of Loulé, Vítor Aleixo, the president of the Municipal Assembly, representatives of the municipal groups and musical moments of José Alegre, Grupo Coral Infantil de Loulé and Grupo Coral de Quarteira.

Open to the general public, this session will also be broadcast live on Youtube and translated into Portuguese Sign Language.

At night, Janita Salomé and Rúben Alves take the stage at Cerca do Convento do Espírito Santo, starting at 7 pm, with free admission.

In Lagos The celebrations of the 49th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution will take place between the 22nd and 25th of April with various initiatives, announced the municipality .

On the first day, the Cultural Center of Lagos hosts at 6 pm the multidisciplinary show entitled “Revolutions”, by the association Questão Repetida, with music, poetry, movement and art. On the 24th of April, a tribute concert to Chico Buarque takes the stage with the name “Quem te vi, quem te ver”, signed by Thais Motta and Marcus Lima. This show is free to enter, but tickets must be picked up at the venue.

On the 23rd of April, the morning will be dedicated to Zeca Afonso at the Municipal Library of Lagos, with a music and dramatic expression workshop, entitled “Zeca Afonso, do you know who he is?”, by Catrapum Catrapeia, starting at 10:00 am, based on the book “O Homem da Gaita”.

At 12:00, participants will have the opportunity to speak with the book’s illustrator, Rui Pedro Lourenço.

On the 25th of April, the celebrations will take place in Praça Gil Eanes, at 09:30, with the raising of the flag, followed by the solemn session, in addition to a release of pigeons by the Clube Columbófilo de Odiáxere and musical moments by the band of the Sociedade Filarmónica Lacobrigense 1.º de Maio and Coral Group from Lagos.

At 11:30 am, the guided tour “Lagos, the military and the revolutions” will take place, with historian Artur de Jesus.

The municipality of Castro Marim will mark the 49th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution with a “freedom program”, full of initiatives that will take place between the 23rd and 25th of April, announced the municipality .

The concert-tertulia by Zé Villar and José Luís Peixoto will open the celebrations on April 23, at the Municipal Library of Castro Marim from 6 pm, also marking World Book Day, with free entry but subject to prior booking through from the phone 281 510 747.

The following day, the exhibition “Colonial War – A Social Portrait of the Combatant” will open at Casa do Sal, starting at 12:30.On the same day, musician Afonso Dias will take several poems and songs from the Carnation Revolution to schools in Castro Marim and Altura.

The 25th of April will start at Praça 1.º de Maio, in Castro Marim, with a parade by the Castromarinense Musical Band at 08:30, followed by the hoisting of the National Flag and the traditional release of pigeons.

The street will pass through several villages throughout the day, such as Furnazinhas, Alta Mora, Odeleite, Azinhal, Junqueira, Monte Francisco, Pisa Barro, São Bartolomeu and Altura.

The schedule for the 25th of April also includes a cycling tour in Altura, at 10:00 am, with the signature of Leões do Sul Futebol Clube and Clube Recreativo Alturense.

At 15:00 there will be a family futsal tournament promoted by União Desportiva Castromarinense, at the Municipal Pavilion of Castro Marim.

The day ends in Altura with a traditional 11-a-side soccer game, promoted by Clube Recreativo Alturense.

Whatever you are planning, have a safe week.