Fishermen and environmentalists contest the construction of a dam bridge in Aveiro. The work will block waters in the Rio Novo do Príncipe and prevent the passage of fish to spawn in fresh waters.
The project, discussed almost 20 years ago, began construction in June, in Rio Novo do Príncipe, in Aveiro. Construction of the dam will soon begin.
The structure was designed to prevent salt water from the Aveiro ria from invading the agricultural land of Baixo Vouga Lagunar. But fishermen in the region say that the dam will also prevent fish from passing into the fresh waters of the Vouga River.
Fish need to reproduce in fresh waters, higher up, in the Vouga, Águeda and Alfusqueiro rivers.
Those who make a living from river fishing fear that the dam bridge, in the Vouga estuary, will put their livelihood and the conservation of migratory fish at risk.
In the tributaries of the Vouga River, a project to restore the habitat of several species of fish has been developed by the University of Évora for seven years. The work of Life Águeda, with a European investment of 3.3 million euros, could be put at risk with the construction of the dam.
To SIC, the Portuguese Environment Agency responds that a study is planned to be carried out and must be delivered up to six months before the dam work is completed. This assessment will dictate whether the fish pass through or whether it is essential to build a passage for them.
The Intermunicipal Community of the Region of Aveiro (CIRA) is responsible for the work. It guarantees that the hydraulic operation will respect the migration periods of the species, and that the floodgates will be opened when necessary.
The environmental impact study that gave the green light to the project was carried out in 2003, more than 20 years ago.
Fishermen and environmentalists ask this Government to carry out a new study, re-evaluate the intervention and redo the project, to include a fish passage and thus guarantee the conservation of migratory species.
