Alentejo: The dried and the supply of the population requires the removal of fish dams Alentejo.
They were 06,00 Moura hours when four fishermen, They cast their nets on the Watch dam reservoir, county Redondo, for initiating the operation removes carp, crucian carp and catfish.
At issue is the maintenance of the water quality supply quality, to about 7.000 inhabitants of that municipality.
The next reservoir to be intervened, tomorrow or Wednesday is the dam of Monte da Rocha, in Ourique and next week the Pego do Altar dams (Alcacer do Sal) e Divor (Arraiolos).
In total they will be withdrawn 150 tons of fish, an operation that involves a cost 120 thousand euros, supported by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) and coordinated by Enterprise Development and Alqueva Infrastructure (EDIA).
At issue is the extreme drought that lives in Portugal, particularly in the Alentejo region, led environmental authorities to intervene in reservoirs whose quota is reduced, Its main objectives prevent fish mortality and degradation of water quality.
One of the most worrying case is that of the Watch dam, that this time is 13% of total storage, It is the first to suffer the intervention of fish removal, where they should be withdrawn 30 tons of fish.
According to VÃtor Catita, technical manager edia, what is intended with this operation "is to avoid that the fish die in water, consume oxygen and degrades its quality ", revealing that all specimens taken from reservoirs "have three destinations: fish meal manufacturing, fishing bait and food on hand for animals ", concluded.
Men experienced in fishing in standing water, four fishermen Moura, They arrive every day at six in the morning, extend networks and take everything that is in the net. "It's hard work over the sun, but it's exciting because we also realize that we are doing it for the community. With a winter with rain, It would not be necessary this operation ", VÃtor justified Apollo, 37 years old and 12 of fishing activity.
The very edia has already started the fish removal process in some of the reservoirs of the Purpose of Enterprise Multiple Alqueva (EFMA), particularly in Alamos (Portel), Penedrão (Ferreira do Alentejo) and Piso (Beringel/ Beja), from which they have been removed 14 tons of fish, that could affect "the transfer of water for the irrigation areas bordering, given the reduction of the stored volume.
Second or GRPC, "The predominant species in reservoirs are the bass and carp. Fish removed for a company incinerator, where they will be crushed and for the manufacture of animal feed ", justified.
The Global System of Alqueva, comprises 69 dams and reservoirs, an area of 120 thousand hectares of irrigated land in farms and ensures supplies to neighboring Hydroagriculture, Purple cases (Aljustrel), Odivelas (Ferreira do Alentejo, Campilhas (Santiago do Cacém) and Vigia (Redondo).
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
