President of Olhão council, António Miguel Pina, promoted a meeting between the authorities involved in resolving the silting problems in the Ria Formosa, in which there was an indication that the sand removed will be used to reinforce sand barriers at Fuseta Beach and Faro Beach.

“The perspective given to us by the DGRM [Directorate-General of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services] is that during the month of April they would open a competition” to carry out the dredging, which should be carried out “later this year, after of the bathing season”, said the mayor.

At the same time, António Miguel Pina hopes that the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) will authorise by the end of March that “the sand removed instead of being deposited on the high seas, as planned, will be used to “reinforce the dunes” of some of the barrier islands.

According to the Chamber of Olhão, all entities present were “unanimous in the decision to join forces so that dredging begins as soon as possible and that, in addition to the dredged materials being deposited in the immersion polygons, they are also used to reinforce the dune cord”.

In a statement, the Faro district authority states that “dredging is an essential measure to ensure water renewal, sediment oxygenation, maintenance of navigation channels and the safeguarding of natural habitats”.

A resolution by the Council of Ministers allocated, in 2023, a budget of five million euros to carry out dredging in the Ria Formosa, a lagoon system that extends across the municipalities of Loulé, Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.