Good day dear friends, supporters and donors
STOP AND THINK … what will be the impact on your future, your kid’s future, and the future of your investments in Portugal?
Two years ago when the fires broke up in central Portugal, we received an interesting document that highlighted all the identified mining areas in Portugal. At the time, we overlapped these maps with areas that where burned. We were surprised to see that many of the burned areas covered proposed mining concessions. But our focus at the time was the anti fossil fuels campaigns. So we decided to hold back and play a watching eye over future developments. At the same time our focus on protecting the Algarve took priority, and all our efforts were thus focused on the immediate risk to the Algarve presented by Galp/ENI.
In the past few weeks we became aware the Portuguese government has gone on a fast and heavy offensive tactic with many of the areas now open for tenders, with some contracts already awarded amidst major secrecy and little public awareness or disclosure. The mining concessions cover such minerals as: gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, lithium, tungsten, nickel, and other iron and associated minerals.
It is clear that the government has moved its offensive away from the Algarve currently into Central Portugal. But this is just a strategic military type manoeuvre … all they are doing is focusing all their guns on areas where lack of information and knowledge abounds, where many council governments appear to be compromised, and where disinformation and short-term gains for a few appear to be the order of the day. While hopping that in the Algarve and Alentejo people will fall into a false sense of security, as after all the immediate risks have been averted.
DON’T BE FOOLED! They (the government and their handlers) have no intention of walking away from what they perceive as being a quick road to personal riches. The fact that the environment and local economies will suffer is something they couldn’t care about!
Getting back to the anti oil & gas drilling campaigns. It is a fact, that ASMAA was the organisation that woke-up Portugal to the risk of fossil fuels exploration when we started alerting people in 2009.
Initially the focus was the Algarve.
Major milestones:
1. 22 June 2016 - ASMAA challenges the Galp/ENI contracts and TUPEM licence application on, and submits petitions to the DGRM and the Portuguese Parliament, representing 42,000 people that submitted objections.
2. 20 Feb 2017 - ASMAA requests from the Attorney General's Office that they lodge in court an injunction with suspensive effect to prevent deep-offshore oil and gas exploration off the coast of Aljezur, and to immediately challenge ENI-GALP's Santola contract validity.
3. 6 April 2018 - ASMAA lodges with the Loulé Administrative and Fiscal court, our principal legal action.
4. 14 August 2018 - ASMAA lodges an injunction. ASMAA challenges the ENMC opinion dated 9 Jan 2018, and APA's decision of 16.05.2018. Injunction embargos all planed work.
5. 9 January 2019 - Police raids the offices of ENMC and DGEG as a result of our submission to the Attorney General and the Auditor General offices in February 2017.
6. Currently the Attorney General’s office has challenged some court decisions, and we have no doubt that ASMAA’s legal arguments and well documented claims submitted to both the Attorney General in February 2017, as well as to the court during our legal battle, will play a very important role in assisting them in their current supreme court arguments relating to oil exploration contracts in Portugal.
7. 8 April 2019 ASMAA received a copy of the court award on our injunction, which we challenged on 12 April 2019. We are still waiting for a reply to our arguments.
The bottom line is that of the 15 contracts that were in place between 2009 and 2019 in the Portugal 13 have been terminated, with only 2 contracts remaining effective in central Portugal (Pombal and Batalha) held by Australis Oil & Gas.
We expect that Australis will present their complete EIS (Environmental Impact Study) by end of the year. Which means that we will have a very short window in which to act. In the meanwhile we continue to gather signatures in our petition in an endeavour to get the Portuguese parliament to do the right thing, and cancel these contracts.
YOUR CHOICES NOW
Do we at ASMAA continue with our fight against oil and gas drilling in Portugal? (Including focusing in the anti-fracking campaign in the Batalha and Pombal contract areas?)
Do we (as requested by some people in central Portugal), give our assistance in trying to avert this new mining threat?
IF YOU SAY YES! THEN WE EXPECT YOU TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR WISH IS AND DONATE NOW
Although we are grateful to everyone that has donated up to now, the facts are that we have to raise 3348-00€ to cover our backlog of costs which are still overdue for payment. Currently our bank account has only 365€ in it. And we need to raise at least another 3000€ to enable us to focus on the risk developing in central Portugal to cover materials, venues, travel and accommodation.
DONATE NOW 50€, 100€, 150€ or whatever amount you want to donate. We will be grateful.
You can donate via PayPal (including credit card payments): info@asmaa-algarve.org or through the donate button on our website: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/donate
Or via Bank Transfer (EFT)
BANK: SANTANDER TOTTA
ASMAA Algarve Surf and Marine Activities Association
IBAN: PT50 0018 0008 02686698020 51
REF: ANTI OIL&GAS CAMPAIGN, or
REF: CENTRAL PORTUGAL, or
REF: ASMAA for general costs
ANOTHER WAY TO DONATE AND SUPPORT ASMAA EFFORTS IS BY BUYING GOODS IN OUR CHARITY SHOP IN PORTIMÃO, WHICH IS NOW OPEN IN PORTIMÃO (ALGARVE).
THE SHOP IS ONLY OPEN ON WEDNESDAYS, FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS from 11h30 to 17h00
If you do not live in the Algarve or can’t collect at our shop, we will post or courier smaller items that you purchase. Big items such as furniture we can only deliver in the Algarve area.
Here’s an intro video in English about our shop in Portimão with subtitles in Portuguese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShtYzT4GUE
Here’s a follow-up video in Portuguese with subtitles in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGPOxkRZvg0
Directions how to get to our shop in English and Portuguese.
We invite you to join ASMAA’s Charity Facebook Group to see what is on offer at any given time. https://www.facebook.com/groups/asmaacharityshop/
Thank you, and Please DO NOT FORGET to donate!
The ASMAA Team
OTHER LINKS ENGLISH:
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Is-This-Europes-Newest-Oil-Gas-Producer.html
OTHER INFO (CENTRAL PORTUGAL) IN PORTUGUESE
Lithium concessions map here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1gV9T94U74-w5oF89_9v4yZnvy6-VIWZ3&ll=40.320395508945566%2C-7.474849425992602&z=8&fbclid=IwAR2PY6TAJ2YkqCzMZ7sdrSo6RhZCSGSUPDCeEQGOeH0ORWFe08ODzhXHBZc
Aviso n.º 6518/2019
«Boa Vista», localizado nos concelhos de Viseu, Nelas, Mangualde, Penalva do Castelo, Gouveia, SEIA, Oliveira de Hospital, Tábua e Carregal do Sal
Aviso n.º 2889/2019
"Botafogo", localizado nos concelhos de Elvas e Monforte, distrito de Portalegre e Vila Viçosa, Alandroal e Estremoz
Aviso n.º 3403/2019
"Portel", localizado nos concelhos de Portel, Vidigueira, Serpa, Beja, Cuba, Alvito e Viana do Alentejo
Aviso n.º 3404/2019
Santiago", localizado nos concelhos de Santiago do Cacém e Grândola
Aviso n.º 3658/2019
"Malhão 2", localizado nos concelhos de Montalegre e Boticas
Aviso n.º 4386/2019
"Viso", localizada no concelho de Vieira do Minho, Montalegre, Cabeceiras de Bastos, Fafe
Aviso n.º 4615/2019
"Alto de Santo Amaro", localizado no concelho de Vila Nova de Foz Côa
Aviso n.º 4722/2019
"Fojo", localizada no concelho de Melgaço, Monção e Arcos de Valdevez
Aviso n.º 5390/2019
Calvo", localizado nos concelhos de Almeida, Pinhel e Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
Aviso n.º 5712/2019
"Crespo", localizado nos concelhos de Idanha-a-Nova
Aviso n.º 5713/2019
"Nave", localizado nos concelhos de Guarda, Almeida e Sabugal
Aviso n.º 5884/2019
"Silva", localizado nos concelhos de Aguiar da Beira, Trancoso, Pinhel, Guarda, Celorico da Beira e Fornos de Algodres
Aviso n.º 6131/2019
«Portela», localizado nos concelhos de Viseu, Penalva do Castelo, Sátão, Aguiar da Beira, Sernancelhe, Moimenta da Beira e Vila Nova de Paiva
Aviso n.º 6132/2019
«Cabecinha», localizado nos concelhos de Sátão, Sernancelhe, Mêda, Pinhel, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Trancoso, Aguiar da Beira, Penalva do Castelo e fornos de Algodres
Aviso n.º 6133/2019
«Lobão», localizado nos concelhos de Tondela, Vouzela, Viseu, Mangualde, Nelas e Carregal do Sal
Aviso n.º 6248/2019
"Antas", localizado nos concelhos de Guarda, Pinhel e Celorico da Beira
Aviso n.º 6518/2019
«Boa Vista», localizado nos concelhos de Viseu, Nelas, Mangualde, Penalva do Castelo, Gouveia, Seia, Oliveira de Hospital, Tábua e Carregal do Sal
Aviso n.º 6585/2019
"Caneca", localizado nos concelhos de Sabugal, Belmonte, Covilhã, Fundão, Penamacor
Aviso n.º 6586/2019
"Cabacos", localizada no concelho de Carrazeda de Ansiães, Torre de Moncorvo, São João da Pesqueira, Vila Flor e Vila Nova de Foz Côa
Aviso n.º 6587/2019
"Homem", localizado nos concelhos de Penamacor e Sabugal
Aviso n.º 6588/2019
«Carapeteiro», localizado nos concelhos de Idanha-a-Nova, Penamacor, Fundão e Castelo Branco
Aviso n.º 6589/2019
«Volta», localizado nos concelhos de Idanha-a-Nova, Penamacor, Fundão e Covilhã
Aviso n.º 6590/2019
"Circo", localizada no concelho de Bragança, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirandela, Vinhais e Valpaços