Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 31st July 2024
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all. The next few weeks across the Algarve are full of festivals of all kinds which brings more visitors to the region. This week we have the start of the Sardine festival in Portimao and the Chicken festival in Guia as well as many more in the many villages and towns across the region. Travelling to and from these different places is becoming a difficult exercise for many as the main road through the region, the N125, is full to capacity during much of the day. We have seen a number of accidents in the past week which have resulted in the death of at least three people as well as other serious injuries. Having driven along this road quite extensively this week you can see that the idea of “patience” doesn’t seem to be part of many drivers’ thinking! Let’s hope that the next few weeks are not littered with more accidents and tragic loss of life. Remember, a few extra minutes getting to your destination can save your life as well as other road users.
Now a look at some of the other stories from around the region from the past week.
Collision on EN 125 leaves two dead and one seriously injured
Two people died this Sunday, the 28th, in a collision between two cars, on the National Road (EN) 125, in Almancil, in the municipality of Loulé , revealed a source from Civil Protection.
According to a source from the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the accident, which occurred at around 6:22 am, also left one person seriously injured, who was taken to Faro hospital.
The accident, which occurred on the Troto Variant, caused the road to be closed in both directions. At 10:15 a.m., a team of 16 operators, supported by nine vehicles, were still on site.
This accident brings to three the number of deaths in road accidents that occurred over the weekend on the EN 125, in the Almancil area. On Saturday morning, a collision between a bus and a car had already caused the death of the driver of the light vehicle.
One dead in collision between bus and car in Almancil
A man died this Saturday, the 27th, in a collision between a bus and the car he was driving, on the National Road (EN) 125, in Almancil, in the municipality of Loulé , said a source from Civil Protection .
According to a source from the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command, the accident, which occurred at around 8:00 am, did not cause any injuries, and traffic was affected, with traffic being alternated.
The accident occurred in the Faro – Loulé direction. According to CM, the fatal victim is the Algarve musician Paul Camilo, 50 years old, guitarist of the band Karapaus Allimads.
Man arrested in Portimão for thefts from several establishments
The Faro PSP District Command , through the Criminal Investigation Squad of the Portimão Police Division, arrested a 35-year-old man, accused of committing several qualified thefts, it was announced today.
Following an investigation carried out over the last few months, it was possible to determine “that the suspect made a living by committing thefts in various commercial establishments, such as supermarkets, pharmacies and perfumeries, later exchanging the stolen items for narcotic products”, details the PSP in a statement.
“In order to put an end to these crimes and restore a sense of security to traders in the city of Portimão, the PSP carried out a swift investigation, which allowed the suspect to be identified, who was located and arrested yesterday,” the note continues. After the first judicial interrogation, he was given the coercive measure of preventive detention.
The PSP believes it has put an end to this criminal phenomenon, which had been causing some “uneasiness” among traders in the city of Portimão.
Three arrested for beach thefts in Portimao
The GNR arrested three men suspected of thefts, between Monday and Wednesday, in Portimão, as part of an investigation aimed at combating thefts in the Algarve’s beach areas, the security force announced.
The detainees are between 27 and 50 years old and were located by members of the Portimão Criminal Investigation Unit, “on the public highway”, and were “in possession of material to commit this type of theft” and “various stolen material, which is why they were detained”, the GNR said in a statement.
After approaching the detainees, a house search was carried out “which allowed the recovery and seizure of several items”, namely a vehicle, a camera, six cell phones, four computers, a drone, 950 euros, 15 Canadian dollars and 56 US dollars, two watches and several electronic components, he listed. “The action was reinforced by military personnel from the Lagoa Territorial Post and the Beja Traffic Detachment (DT), with two other individuals also being named as defendants,” he concluded.
Jail for ringleaders of gang that terrorised immigrants in OIhão
The two main ringleaders of a gang of young teens that terrorised Indian and Nepalese immigrants in the Algarve town of Olhão last year have both been sentenced to seven years in prison (one year of which will be commuted due to the recent papal amnesty).
Both youths, now aged 17, have been held in preventive custody since their arrests last year. A third teen, also arrested last year and equally charged with aggravated assault, violent damage and theft, was handed a five year sentence, suspended – while a fourth youngster was found not guilty of all counts against him.
Defence lawyer André Caetano has commented that the sentences for the ringleaders, in his opinion, are still “very heavy”. “We are going to appeal”, he told Correio da Manhã.
For the time being, the 17-year-olds will continue to remain in preventive custody, serving their time in Leiria’s prison establishment for young people.
The panel of judges considered the behaviour of all the youngsters involved to have been “repugnant and very serious”.This was an incident that became nationally notorious, as images of the attacks were widely shared online.
President Marcelo travelled down to Olhão to personally apologise to one of the immigrants at the time.
Navy seizes fishing gear in Algarve marine park
The Portuguese Navy announced on Tuesday that it found and removed 59 cage traps from the Algarve Marine Natural Park – Pedra do Valado, where the use of this kind of fishing gear is prohibited. The Navy said in a statement that the fishing gear was detected on Monday during a maritime patrol and surveillance operation in the recently created marine reserve off the coast of Albufeira, Lagoa, and Silves.
As fishing is prohibited in the marine reserve, the Navy collected the cage traps at the behest of Portimão’s port captain. In its statement, the Navy stressed that using this type of fishing gear can be detrimental to the “development of corals on the rocky bottom, as it significantly affects the conservation of biodiversity” in an area which is meant to be protected. The Algarve Marine Natural Park – Pedra do Valado was created in January this year to protect biodiversity and promote the sustainable management of resources.
The reserve is one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity in Portugal and is also the largest coastal reef in the Algarve and one of the largest in Portugal, with natural values considered unrivalled along the national coast.
The Natural Park comprises the area between the Alfanzina Lighthouse, in the municipality of Lagoa, and the Albufeira marina, totalling an area of approximately 156 square kilometres.
At Pedra do Valado, 889 of the 1,294 species of fauna and flora found on the Algarve coast were identified, 24 of which have protected status, with the discovery of 45 new species for Portugal and 12 new species for science that are not known elsewhere, according to the website of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR).
All human activities, including fishing and recreational boating, are prohibited on the site.
Albufeira tourism behaviour campaign starts
An awareness campaign on rules and behaviours starts today, 29th July in Albufeira, the local authority announced. In a note, the Municipality stresses that it is working on several fronts with a view to “disciplining” behaviours in public spaces, so that “the good image of Albufeira is restored, both to the satisfaction of residents and tourists”, explains José Carlos Rolo.
The mayor points out the problem of certain groups, “but it cannot be generalised, as the behaviour of some cannot be taken as a reflection of the identity of any country”.
Seven actions are underway, such as a behavioural awareness campaign, using billboards, posters, a brochure and other materials; a campaign to promote the destination is also being carried out in partnership with the company IPDT- Turismo; 70 video surveillance cameras are being installed; human surveillance has already been increased in the areas of Oura and the “downtown” part of the city, with the help of the Firefighters Association, the Portuguese Red Cross, the GNR, the Municipal Civil Protection Service and the Municipal Police, as well as other law enforcement agencies. In addition, a new code of behaviour is being drawn up, which should be completed by the end of this summer; the draft amendment to the Municipal Noise Regulation is being reviewed; and finally, the proposal to revise the Municipal Regulations for the Operation of Establishments will be presented at the Council Meeting tomorrow. As regards the behavioural awareness campaign, the distribution of flyers, stickers and a brochure has already begun. According to the local authority, Albufeira now has more security, surveillance and inspection agents on the streets, “for a faster and more effective response to any problem that arises”, day or night.
“The less than positive image of Albufeira must change very soon and I will not allow any lack of respect for our work, neither for the leisure of our tourists, nor for the work of all those who live in Albufeira, regardless of their origin or social status”, says the mayor.
José Carlos Rolo also requested the help of the British Consulate to implement campaigns and actions in Albufeira, as are done in other countries, with a view to “ensuring greater security, comfort and satisfaction for all tourists, who are also disturbed by the widespread perception of a less than positive image of their identity, when Albufeira’s relations with the entire United Kingdom have always been, and throughout many years of history, one of great cordiality and mutual admiration”.
In addition to all this, tendering procedures are also underway for more and better lighting in certain public places, especially in the coastal area, an increase in the number of litter bins on the streets and more cleaning professionals, and noise monitoring has already begun on some streets.
Until the next time stay safe
With the arrival of summer, Albufeira has resumed its yearly awareness campaign in which it warns beachgoers about the dangers of cliffs.
Two men and a young woman died yesterday afternoon in a head-on collision between two motorbikes, close to the site of Faro’s ongoing bikers’ festival. According to police, the victims were all wearing the kind of kit that suggests they were in Faro for the iconic event.
Among the 15 new measures approved at the meeting, the minister highlighted the recent issues with foreign citizens trying to obtain identification numbers for the tax, social security and national health systems.
It is important to note that it is forbidden to drive a car with a foreign licence plate if you are an emigrant and bring the car from your country of residence to stay permanently in Portugal. In these cases, you have a period of 20 days to legalise the vehicle after entering the country. It is also not permitted to keep a car with a licence plate from your country of origin in Portugal if you live alternately in Portugal and in your country of residence.
As I write this report Eight municipalities in the district of Faro are today at maximum risk of rural fires due to hot weather, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere. At maximum risk are the municipalities of Aljezur, Lagos, Monchique, Portimão, Silves, Loulé, Tavira and São Brás de Alportel. According to IPMA calculations, the fire danger will remain high in some districts at least until Sunday.
The GNR from Faro district carried out a series of operations in the Algarve, during the week of July 8th to 14th. The operations aimed to prevent and combat violent crime, alongside road inspections.
The 42nd Faro Motorbike Rally is almost here. This year, one of the most notable events in the region (and the country) will take place from 18 to 21 July, in the mythical Vale das Almas, in Montenegro .
Whilst the Algarve receives tourists from all parts of the world, the UK during the summer is the country which has the most holidaymakers arriving in the Algarve and it is from there that we see that the cases of Covid 19 are on the increase. Up to the end of June the UK saw a total of 3,230 people over a 7 day period register with the virus, an increase of 15% week on week. Experts believe that the true figure is probably 10 times this figure.
Two maritime tourist vessels – one with three and the other with four passengers on board – collided on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 2, on the Arade River, in Portimão . The causes of the accident are unknown, according to the National Maritime Authority ( AMN ). The collision resulted in three minor injuries.
The PSP made 10 arrests during the Afro Nation Festival, which took place from 26th to 30th June in Praia da Rocha, Portimão and attracted around 35,000 each day.