PAN MEP questions European Commission on dredging in Sado river

Brussels, 7 January 2020- Following several initiatives by PAN for the end of dredging in the Sado river, MEP Francisco Guerreiro questioned the European Commission about the legality of these practices.

In order to deepen the navigation channels and the turning basin, the Port of Setúbal is carrying out dredging in the Sado river. However, this dredging is taking place in the vicinity of the Sado Estuary Natural Reserve (a Natura 2000 site) and the Marine Park Professor Luiz Saldanha.

The environmental impact study carried out revealed alarming consequences for the aquatic biotopes present in the area and for the different species (such as bottlenose dolphins) and also that technical gaps in knowledge exist in relation to the impact of the project on the ecosystem. Notwithstanding, the Portuguese Environment Agency, as the National Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (EIA), issued a favourable opinion on the project.

Dredging in the Sado river is being strongly challenged by civic and environmental protection associations, tour operators, representatives of activities related to fishing and oyster farming, as well as by the population in general.

In Sines there is an alternative port (Sines Atlantic), which is able to accommodate up to 10 million containers per year — a potential that is not exploited — and which is not located in a protected area, and that could be an alternative to the change which is being operated at the Port of Setúbal.

However, on 20 December 2019, Parliament rejected a legislative initiative by PAN that recommended the Government to revoke the authorization granted to the Port of Setúbal Administration to proceed with dredging in the Sado.

In the follow-up, PAN MEP Francisco Guerreiro posed these questions on dredging in the Sado river to the European Commission:

·         In the light of the above, does the Commission agree that dredging would cause irreparable and irremediable damage to the ecosystem?

·         Does it agree that, in carrying out such a project, Portugal will be in breach of the Birds Directives (79/409/EEC) and the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), Article 4 of Directive 2001/42/EC and threatening the natural balance of these ecosystems?

·         Does it agree that Portugal should ban dredging in the Sado river?

“Parliament and Government don’t have the courage to stop the dredging in the Sado river. Portugal can not pretend to be on the vanguard of the fight against climate change when it promotes projects that destroy one of the countries greatest natural carbon sinkholes. It is paramount to maintain and protect these habitats if we really want to overcome the greatest crisis of our times. The European Commission should take a stand on this matter,” says Francisco Guerreiro, PAN MEP.

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