Nest’s removal sparked outrage and controversy
The storks’ nest that sparked controversy in São João da Madeira, near Porto, in January because it was removed from a disused industrial chimney for the construction of a supermarket is now back in place and being used by the birds, writes Lusa.
At issue is the procedure which – in order to build a new Lidl in this municipality in the district of Aveiro and the Porto Metropolitan Area – required work on the historic chimney and the removal of the nest that a group of students, teachers and firefighters had created around 30 years ago.
Due to the delay in replacing the nest, and alleged discrepancies between the bureaucracy associated with the work, and the licences for intervention involving the nest, the situation was contested by environmentalists, residents and several of the people involved in its original construction – even leading to a complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office by the Iris association.
The date set by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests for the nest to be replaced was, however, met by Lidl, and on the same day that the nest was replaced, storks returned, and have remained there ever since.
Contacted by Lusa, neither Lidl nor Iris has commented on this happy conclusion.
Source material: Lusa
