The affirmation of Vila Real de Santo António as a national hub for the Blue Economy was at the center of a working meeting that brought together the Government, the Municipality and several entities linked to the maritime sector, reinforcing the institutional alignment around this strategy.
The meeting took place on Thursday, February 19, and was attended by the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro, who went to the municipality to meet with the mayor of Vila Real de Santo António, Álvaro Araújo.
The agenda included a visit to the facilities of Nautiber – Estaleiros Navais do Guadiana, Lda., with the participation of representatives from Docapesca, the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services, the General Directorate of Maritime Policy, the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission and the Algarve Fishing Shipowners Association, among other entities. The delegation also passed by the Guadiana Naval Association.
During the meeting, the various aspects of the municipality’s maritime economy were analyzed, from fishing to shipbuilding and repair, including logistics, nautical tourism and environmental sustainability. The objective is to consolidate an integrated vision that allows existing potential to be transformed into investment, qualified employment and greater territorial competitiveness.
Among the reiterated priorities were the clarification of the process of decentralization of competences in the area of the wall and the riverfront, the requalification of the Fishing Port — covering infrastructure, streets, lighting and unloading docks — and the creation of a “cluster” area dedicated to shipbuilding and repair.
Navigability of the Guadiana and common strategic vision
Matters such as improving the working conditions of shellfish gatherers, ensuring the navigability of the Guadiana River, with interventions in terms of dredging and signaling, the feasibility of a maritime-tourist license for regular international passenger transport and the strategic planning of expansion lands under the management of Docapesca were also addressed.
At the end of the meeting, the institutional consensus around this strategy was highlighted. “Today we took an important step to make our city a national hub for the Blue Economy. We brought together entities and desires to ensure that our shipyards and our sea receive the attention and investment they deserve”, said Álvaro Araújo.
Salvador Malheiro also highlighted “the importance of coordination between entities and the definition of a common path to enhance the sector”, considering that “Vila Real de Santo António has the conditions to assert itself as a national reference in this area”.
He assures that “he will continue to work closely with the Government and institutional partners, with the aim of transforming this shared vision into concrete projects, capable of generating investment, sustainable development and new opportunities for the municipality and the region”.
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