Beja, Aug. 12, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese environmental association Zero on Tuesday stated that the “destruction of biodiversity continues in the Alqueva district in the Alentejo,” with “two more species at risk destroyed in an irrigated area,” endemic plants on land near Beringel, in the region of Beja.
In a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, the association argued that the Beringel-Beja Irrigation Block, belonging to the Alqueva Multipurpose Project (EFMA), “is once again the scene of destruction of endangered endemic flora, due to a chronic inability to respond on the part of the responsible authorities”.
According to Zero, there has been “the recent destruction of two clusters of protected species in the area of influence” of EFMA, more precisely the plants Linaria ricardoi and Bellevalia trifoliata.
This destruction "exposes serious flaws in the ability of public authorities to safeguard biodiversity, even in the face of timely warnings", Zero criticised in its statement.
Contacted by Lusa, Pedro Horta, from the environmental association, pointed out that both plants are ‘regional endemics, with the toadflax linaria having a slightly more extensive occurrence’, while “Bellevalia trifoliata only occurs in the Beja and Beringel clay areas and is critically endangered”.
"This Alqueva irrigation block is up and running, and it is when farmers convert from one crop to another, when they are covered by irrigation, that the plants are destroyed," he said.
According to Pedro Horta, “the two centres of endemic plants, although the exact number of individuals affected is unknown, were destroyed on the same plot of land near Beringel”, where “there was a traditional olive grove that was uprooted”.
“Land was mobilised and, as it is within the irrigation block, it must be for planting super-intensive olive groves, but we don’t know yet,” he added.
For Zero, this case “reinforces the urgent need for effective measures to halt the loss of natural assets and ensure swift action to protect threatened ecosystems”.
The toadflax/ linaria is protected by the EU and is the subject of a species monitoring programme run by the Alqueva Development and Infrastructure Company (EDIA), it recalled.
The association said it had reported the possible destruction of protected species to EDIA and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) in early April.
“Despite EDIA’s swift response, it was only at the end of May that Zero received information that the ICNF had given orders to stop the work”, which was not respected, with the same entity informing the association on 23 July about “the protection status of the species and the illegality of any changes in land use without prior opinion”.
“Unfortunately, the damage may now be irreversible,” lamented the environmental association, calling for urgent measures such as “an independent post-assessment of the Alqueva Multipurpose Project’s impacts, including on biodiversity” and the “reconfiguration of incentive systems so that biodiversity protection by farmers and land managers is properly compensated”.
Other measures suggested are to ensure the representation of local development and social and environmental rights organisations on the Alqueva Irrigation Monitoring Council (CAR) and the effective protection of identified sites of high value species and habitats through improved monitoring and rapid response mechanisms.
RRL/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
