The possible extinction of cockle banks in the Ria Formosa, associated with collection practices outside legal rules, is at the center of a recent complaint that has put the fishing and catering sector on alert. According to the newspaper Expresso, chef Leonel Pereira made public his fear that this natural resource is disappearing rapidly, after years of continuous human pressure.
The cook decided to move forward with this warning after witnessing a visible degradation of the ecosystem. “The cockles are all gone,” he said, drawing attention to changes that, he says, have become impossible to ignore. The newspaper writes that the chef associates this scenario with frequent captures made without licenses and the lack of effective supervision.
Human pressure and repeated alerts
The publication adds that Leonel Pereira has been highlighting the way in which unregulated extraction is affecting several species. “There are no mussels in the Ria Formosa”, he declared, also mentioning the impact on razor clams and good clams, the scarcity of which has had an impact on the market. The same source mentions that the cook fears that other species will follow the same path if nothing is done.
The website explains that large-scale oyster farming also raises questions, with some professionals fearing that it could influence the availability of essential food for other species. The chef warns of the need for studies to assess the relationship between these practices and the current state of cockles, highlighting that “there is still no concrete data”.
Lack of supervision
The newspaper also notes that the size of the Ria Formosa makes any attempt at permanent control difficult. The same source recalls that the means of inspection are limited and that those who operate irregularly know the area well.
“It’s very big and monitoring this entire area is very difficult,” said the chef, adding that “the police can’t control everything.”
Reactions, solutions and an appeal to the sector
Leonel Pereira advocates strengthening control and creating mechanisms that force shellfish gatherers to comply with basic rules of the activity. The cook also insists on the need for all those involved to reject products without legal documentation: “When someone comes and asks if I want to buy clams, cockles or razor clams without an invoice, I don’t buy it. I say no, thank you.”
As a form of protest and to draw attention to the problem, the chef decided to remove cockles from the menus of his restaurant in Faro. According to , this is not the first time that the cook has taken a similar position, having already developed initiatives related to the preservation of species and encouraging the use of less pressured resources.
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