The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds – SPEA BirdLife, has confirmed that it is satisfied with the decision of the Regional Government of Madeira to withdraw from the public tender for the construction of the Caminho das Ginjas, in Paúl da Serra.
The SPEA statement is as follows:
The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds – SPEA BirdLife welcomes the decision of the Regional Government of Madeira to withdraw from the public tender for the construction of the Caminho das Ginjas – Paúl da Serra, a project that provided for the paving of a path in the middle of the Laurissilva Forest of Madeira, an area classified as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO and integrated in the Natura 2000 Network.
This decision represents a significant victory for nature conservation in the Autonomous Region of Madeira and highlights the importance of technical, civic, and legal intervention in the defence of environmentally sensitive areas.
From the initial phase of the process, SPEA warned of the environmental risks associated with the project, having issued unfavorable technical opinions to the Environmental Impact Study, in which it identified insufficiencies in the assessment of impacts on priority habitats and protected species.
At the same time, it has developed legal steps that have contributed to ensuring strict compliance with national and European environmental legislation.
“The decision now announced demonstrates that it is worth defending our natural heritage based on solid scientific arguments and the law. The Laurissilva is a unique heritage on a world scale and cannot be subjected to interventions that put its ecological integrity at risk,” says Cátia Gouveia, Regional Coordinator of SPEA.
The organisation stresses that the Ginjas Trail is located in an area of high ecological value, where priority habitats and endemic species are particularly sensitive to fragmentation and the intensification of human pressure.
“This outcome is also the result of the mobilisation of civil society and informed public participation. When citizens and organisations are actively involved in decision-making processes, it is possible to influence public policies in favour of the common interest and sustainability.“
SPEA reaffirms that it will continue to be attentive to any future developments related to this area and available to collaborate regarding solutions that promote the responsible enjoyment of nature, compatible with the conservation of the natural values that distinguish Madeira in the European and world context.
Concluding, Cátia Gouveia stated:
“Regional development cannot be done at the expense of natural heritage. The protection of the Laurissilva is a collective responsibility and a heritage that we must preserve for generations to come.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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