Marta Sofia questions “where is the respect” and “where is the responsibility” for what is happening in Fanal and Rabaçal.
The ‘Composite Movement’ was in Paul da Serra these days, where it witnessed what it says is the “shame” of how the environment and nature of Madeira is being managed.
Accompanying the “denunciation” with a series of videos and photographs, that Movement reports on the destruction of centuries-old trees in Fanal, also pointing out the way in which several other endemic plants are being destroyed by human hands, in addition to being “suffering” due to the plastic protections that were placed on them when they were planted, a few years ago, but which now cause atrophy and prevent their normal growth.
They add to this the consequences of human pressure on natural spaces, giving as an example the “open-air bathroom” that they say Rabaçal has become. If you have been to these areas, then you cant help but notice the crap and toilet paper everywhere, not just inside the bathrooms. It’s a shame it’s not done outside the residence of Albuquerque….
Through the voice of Marta Sofia, who was the head of the list for the Livre party in the last two elections, Regional and National Legislative, the group also questions how the funds charged for access to Classified Pedestrian Routes have been managed, money that, it believes, should be used to hire more human resources, people who should be assigned to the preservation of Nature, but, above all, to controlling access, inspection and cleaning the spaces.
The former candidate recalls the proposals that the party she represented had for these areas. She recalls the demand for dry toilets for many of the walking trails and leisure areas in forest areas, but also the policies aimed at controlling the carrying capacity of tourist attractions, especially in environmentally sensitive areas, such as Fanal, where she calls for access control and the delimitation of trampling areas.
In the videos released, Marta Sofia shows some trees that have been felled in Fanal, as well as some toilets in Rabaçal, with papers and other rubbish on the ground or in the middle of the forest. She therefore calls for more action and a more determined stance in defence of the forest and the Region.