Portugal

The Operations Commander of the Algarve District Group of the ANPC (National Civil Defence Authority) Vítor Vaz Pinto, explained to ECO123 what measures had been taken to avoid fires in the Algarve in 2014: There is a concerted effort for fire prevention, the responsibility of three bodies: the Nature Conservation Institute, for the structural and awareness-raising part; the National Republican …

Confectionery is part of Portuguese culture and sees one of its high points during the Christmas period. This Christmas, ECO123 invited the people who run two of the best confectionery businesses in the Algarve to share some sugary recipes with you with the typical flavour of the Algarve. Located in the centre of Portimão, the Casa da Isabel is a …

Doctor Cristina Soeiro – Coordinating Psychologist of the Psychology and Selection Office of the Higher Institute of the Criminal Police and Sciences The reduction in the problem of fires in a forestry context in Portugal involves multi-disciplinary and integrated intervention involving, in the short term: Penalising risk behaviours demonstrated by the general population; A plan for forestry management – which …

Captain Almeida Reis – Head of pilots and jointly in charge of the air activities of INAER (1) ECO123: What is needed for there to be no fires in Portugal? As far as firefighting is concerned, it is completely in our interests that the fires are reduced as much as possible, the industry has no interest in fires per se. …

Wine “Monte do Além” in Odiáxere (municipality of Lagos) is little known in the Algarve. However, wine-lovers in Belgium, France and Bulgaria know the name well that adorns the bottles of the precious nectar. The smallholding has about six hectares of organic vines, certificated by ECOCERT, planted between 2000 and 2003, where the grape varieties cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, …

Idália Duarte, aged 55; butcher ECO123: What can we do to avoid forest fires? Clear the forests, care for the forests as was done in the past, when the forests were kept clear. Whether it’s scrubland or old wood, it’s the best that could be done, caring for our forests, making the forests into a garden. What responsibility does eucalyptus …

António da Encarnação, farmer, aged 75 ECO123: What can we do to avoid forest fires in Portugal? We need young farmers. I love the place where I was born. I love it a lot. I’ve always loved it. I’ve never left it to go anywhere else. The best product that we have in Portugal is medronho. We don’t want a …

Doctor Gerd Zabel is a farmer and botanist. He is German, aged 69 and lives in Silves. He is the owner of “Quinta da Figueirinha”, an organic farm with 30 hectares of land, and olive, fig, almond and carob trees. He is experimenting with less flammable trees, as part of a project financed by the EU. The Quinta has drought-resistant …

José Eduardo, aged 55; mechanic, hunter and farmer ECO123: What can we do to avoid forest fires in Portugal? First and foremost is prevention, clearing the forests. I am not in disagreement with what is spent, including the military. That is all very useful but I think that a lot of money is spent on these things. The same amount …

Henrique Pinheiro (aged 53), managing partner of Medal Seguros Lda., representantative of Allianz and Zurich (among others) in Portimão ECO123: How can we avoid fires in Portugal? Henrique Pinheiro: Thirty years ago there were no fires. Why? There were also forests, but they were kept clear. Why don’t we send the military to watch over the forests like in Monchique? …