The Free Party (Livre) warns of the “irreversible degradation” to which Fanal, one of the most emblematic places in the Laurissilva, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is subject.
“I can’t remain silent in the face of the images that are reaching me of what is happening in Fanal,” said Marta Sofia, Livre’s candidate for the Funchal City Council and the Funchal Municipal Assembly, stressing that uncontrolled tourist pressure and ineffective management are destroying centenary trees, accelerating soil erosion, and compromising the ecological balance of the area.”
The candidate defended the temporary closure of Fanal as an urgent need to allow its recovery and rethink the way natural heritage is managed. She also criticised the absence of public positions on the part of the candidates for the Porto Moniz City Council during the municipal campaign, as well as the performance of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation and the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, which, according to the candidate, have failed in their responsibility to protect this space.
“If nothing is done, Fanal runs the risk of losing its natural and cultural identity,” warned Marta Sofia, calling for immediate measures to limit the tourist load, reinforce conservation, and return to the space the dignity it deserves. Institutional and political silence is no longer admissible in the face of the seriousness of the threat,” she concluded.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
