Fuseta Island’s beach has “almost disappeared” following recent storms
Portugal’s Environment and Energy Minister, Maria da Graça Carvalho, has promised emergency action to make sure Fuseta Island has a beach ready for the summer season.
After recent storms badly damaged the area, the minister visited the site on Thursday (April 10) and announced that work will begin soon to restore the beach.
“We already have funding from the Environmental Fund,” the minister said. “We’ll carry out dredging and add around 150,000 cubic metres of sand to create a beach about 600 metres long and 30 metres wide,” she said. The aim is to have everything ready in time for the start of the bathing season.
A special fast-track tender will be launched to speed things up.
Alongside this emergency fix, the government is also working on a long-term plan for the Algarve’s barrier islands, expected to cost around €22 million. This bigger project, funded through the Sustainable Operational Fund, will focus on more permanent coastal protection.
António Miguel Pina, mayor of Olhão, welcomed the emergency intervention but said it’s long overdue.
“This is a problem that we have been warning the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) about,” he said, stressing the municipal council has been carrying some “cosmetic operations” over the years. However, the mayor states that the island’s beach is in dire need of a “robust intervention,” which should also take into account the local fishing industry.
“The Algarve demands that the next government – whichever it might be – create a defense program for the Ria Formosa’s dune system, as well as the clearance of its canals. The Ria Formosa needs this kind of care,” he declared.
Pina also called for the creation of a specific support fund for Algarve beaches. “The 5% of the national economy that we represent will disappear if we do not have beaches in good conditions,” said the mayor, who is also the president of the Algarve Municipalities Association (AMAL).
Local business owners are on edge, fearing that they may not be able to open this summer. “They’re anxious,” said Pina. “Without beaches, our economy collapses.”
