The perils of microplastic

   While the is no doubt about the vast scale of the plastic pollution problem, it’s far from clear how places like the Algarve are going to cope with the crisis.

Marine plastic pollution, particularly microplastic material, is a serious but as yet not fully understood threat to nature and to human health. If it worsens, it will increasingly threaten the economic well-being of communities across the world such as ours that depend on tourism and fisheries.

The global scale of the problem has become obvious, but locally and regionally many people may still not be fully aware that our reputation for beautiful beaches and excellent seafood is at stake.

The lack of awareness may be due in part to the fact that much marine plastic pollution cannot be seen, as it exists in micro form.

The neighbouring Mediterranean, with its renowned holiday resorts, is one of the most polluted seas in the world.

A new report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says plastic currently represents 95 per cent of the waste floating in the Mediterranean.

The record levels of pollution from microplastics are threatening marine species and human health, according to the WWF.

It says the concentration of microplastics is four times higher in the Mediterranean than the highest concentration in the Pacific Ocean.

Much of the plastic in the Mediterranean remains trapped there forever, though plenty must seep through the Straits of Gibraltar and along the southern coast of Portugal to add to the Pollution along the Atlantic shores.

Much of the plastic pollution in the sea and on the beaches of the Mediterranean starts out as waste material dumped in landfill sites in Turkey, Spain, Italy, France and North Africa.

The tourism and fisheries economic sectors are increasingly being affected, while themselves contributing to the pollution.

European fisheries are facing about €62 million of damage caused by huge reductions in fish catches and damage to boats.

More than eight billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since plastic was introduced in the 1950s. The amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. Almost every piece of plastic ever made still exists in some shape or form.

Only a small percentage of plastic waste is recycled. It’s either dumped in landfills, incinerated or simply not collected. Since most plastic doesn’t biodegrade in any meaningful sense, all that plastic waste could exist for hundreds of years.

Wherever you look, the statistics on the source of plastic pollution are horrific.

One million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the world — and that number is expected to top half a trillion by 2021. Less than half of those bottles end up getting recycled.

Nearly 2 million single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every minute.

500 million plastic straws are used every day in America alone. That’s enough to circle the Earth three times.

About 580 billion cigarette butts are discarded annually in the European Union. Each butt takes about 10 years to disintegrate.

The WWF argues for stringent action, including the introduction of an international treaty with binding reduction measures and agreements about trade in plastic waste and criteria for recycling.

The national measures should include a 100 per cent recycling target, plus a ban on plastic bags and single-use plastics.

Legislation should also be passed to ban microplastics in personal care products.

The problem all along the European shores has already been compounded over many years. At long last, the European Commission has introduced the New Waste Package, which came into law on 4 July 2018 for all 28 EU member countries.

This contains substantially increased targets for collection and recycling of plastics which currently are polluting the world’s oceans.

On 28 May 2018, the EU Council and Parliament introduced the SUP (Single-Use Plastics) document, which proposes that each member state conduct awareness-raising educational campaigns about the disposal of all waste products such as plastic cups, straws and picnic utensils.

In September, the debate will begin and due to public pressure on plastic litter the EU proposal is expected to become legislation during the first half of 2019.

In other words, a comprehensive EU effort is under way, although the exact timing is still unknown.

Most experts reckon that overcoming the global plastics crisis will need an international commitment on the scale of the Paris agreement on climate change.

Meanwhile, the best we can each do as individuals is to cut down on our own use of plastic and help clean up the waste of others.

The secret of staying young in spirit 

Dorothy Boilter’s  100^th birthday

     “She goes with the flow and doesn’t let much bother her,” says her eldest daughter, B.J. Boulter.

     That may be the secret of Dorothy Boulter’s popularity, happiness and longevity.

     Many family members and friends gather in the Algarve village of Estombar to celebrate Dorothy’s 100^th birthday on 9^th May.

     Twenty-nine members of her family came from as afield as the United Kingdom, Finland, Greece and the Netherlands to enjoy this very special, fun-filled occasion.

     Dorothy, whose father was English and mother Italian, was born on the island of Malta during the First World War.

    She served with the British Royal Navy during the Second World War. 
    She and her husband, Royston, together with their seven children, spent 16 years in Africa before coming to the Algarve in 1962...
    They bought the renowned Solar Penguin guest house on the seafront at Praia da Rocha. Dorothy ran it for 45 years.

      Widowed in 1981, Dorothy retired in 2007 and now lives independently in Estombar near B.J. 

     At 100 years of age, she is still quick-witted, humorous and always smiling.

    

    

    

Azure-wings are here to stay

     April sees the start of the breeding season for many birds in the Algarve, none more remarkable than the Azure-winged Magpie, which is strongly defying predictions that it may be facing extinction.

     About the size of a blackbird but appearing bigger because of its multi-coloured body and much longer tail, the Azure-wing’s brash and boisterous behaviour also make it easy to spot.   

     Male and female are identical in appearance and they remain gregarious even though winter flocks are now loosening. Young couples, as well as monogamous pairs that have already bonded for life, will this month be home-building on the basis of a single new nest per tree.

     In Europe, Azure-wings occupy the southwest corner - the Algarve, southern Alentejo and the neighbouring Spanish province of Andalusia. They are found nowhere else except on the other side of the world - in China, Korea and Japan.

     Pleistocene fossil evidence has ruled out any notion that exotic Azure-wings were imported from the Far East by early Portuguese explorers. The resident European and East Asian populations were slowly split apart a million or more years ago with the advance of the last Ice Age.

      Once fairly scarce in the Algarve, they are now flourishing in woodlands, parklands and orange groves all across the region.  

     Their numbers seem to be ever increasing despite an ominous study published some years ago in the international science journal Nature.

     Researchers forecast that a quarter of all land and plant species in the world might be driven to extinction if greenhouse gas emissions were not drastically reduced.

     The authors of the study named the Azure-winged Magpie as one of the top ten climatically threatened bird species in Europe.

     The study predicted a loss of between 50% and 95% of the Azure-wings, depending on their ability to disperse and occupy suitable new areas in response to habitat changes brought about by global warming.

     While even now they do not care for sparsely vegetated, wind-swept areas and would be forced out by desertification, Azure-wings are extremely adaptable when it comes to diet.

      In addition to all sorts of creepy-crawlies foraged from trees, bushes and the ground, they enjoy fruits and nuts and are thus regarded by some farmers as a menace.

     Their popularity is also tainted by the fact that they will take eggs and young from the nests of song birds.

     Their audacity commonly stretches to swooping into gardens and backyards to raid kitchen scraps or leftover biscuits in cats’ and dogs’ bowls. Cheeky, but as Darwin explained, it’s the most adaptable and fittest that survive.

     While aggressive in some ways, Azure-wings within their own communities show compassion. Individuals within loose breeding colonies help each other with nest building, supplying food to incubating females and feeding fledglings.

     Along with other fellow members of the crow family, this is one of the brainiest species in the bird world. Its brain-to-body ratio equals that of the great apes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. It’s only slightly less than ours.

     Extinction? Not in our lifetime!   

Photo taken in the Algarve by Colin Key

Winter and long-lets increasing

     The English couple at the centre of the first episode of the BBC’s “Get Away for Winter” series broadcast last month are among the ever-growing number of foreigners renting properties during the off-season, or even all-year-round.

     Trish and Dave Guilford from Sussex stayed in Ferragudo from mid-December to mid-February after their specially filmed search for an ideal winter getaway.  

      They chose a two-bedroom apartment at €650 a month and enjoyed their first stay in the Algarve so much that they have booked accommodation in Ferragudo for six months throughout the whole of next winter.

     Mandy Hughes, a Lagoa-based property consultant who managed the majority of the venues for the “Get Away for the Winter” filming in the Algarve last October, says the winter rental market here is very buoyant.

     “Every year we are seeing more visitors from both Europe and further afield, particularly America and Canada.”

     She says the winter trend provides a great option for local owners who rent their property out in the summer months but often have it standing empty over the winter.  

     “A quality, two-bedroom house or apartment in a good location can often be rented for between €500 and €800 per month plus utility costs in the winter.

     “There is not a great demand for villas over the winter as those visiting from November to April tend to be retired couples.”

     As many of the major holiday resorts almost shut down over the winter months, less publicised places such as Lagos and Ferragudo  are entertaining the bulk of the winter visitors. Mandy says.

     “The long term rental market, involving lets of twelve months or more, has also become increasingly busy.

     “Property sales are a very important side of our business and we see that many overseas purchasers are opting to rent before they buy – giving themselves time to decide on their preferred area over a twelve month period rather than basing their property choice on relatively short holiday experiences.”

       Mandy notes that many of those investing in an Algarve property may be well placed to enjoy it either as solely a second home, or making the most out of their investment with holiday and long term lets.

     “In Algarve Sales and Rentals we have found that property owners are turning to us to manage the whole rental process for them. That includes advertising, finding tenants, arranging contracts and then getting the tenants settled into the property.  

     “The incentives to do this are many, not least of which is no  longer having to pay utilities, gardeners, maids and pool maintenance.

     “Once they have taken all their costs into account, 95% of owners come to the conclusion that they actually make more profit for a long-term rental than they do for the summer holiday market.”

      Trish and Dave Guildford, retirees who have fallen in love with the Algarve as a result of taking part in the first episode of the BBC’s “Get Away for the Winter” series, are also expecting to make a profit next winter.

     While renting in Ferragudo again, this time for six months from next October, they intend to rent out their Sussex home. They anticipate a far higher income per month from their own house than they will be paying in Ferragudo, plus saving on UK heating bills, food and other less expensive items here.

     Trish and Dave, who stayed in Ferragudo from mid-December to mid-February, say they would consider renting elsewhere in the Algarve in future years.

     “We love the Portuguese and especially the Algarve area with its beautiful scenery and glorious beaches and walks.

     “The feeling of friendliness from the locals is really lovely. We feel safe here and less stressed.”

  Trish and Dave

Aquarians of very different ages

Some fascinating comparisons between British expatriates born in the first week of the Aquarius sign of the zodiac are personified by Charles Every who turned 102 on January 20, and twin sisters, Mariota and Catriona Anderson, who are celebrating their  20th birthday today, Friday 26.

Although their homes are within a few kilometres of each other in the Lagoa area, Charles and the Anderson sisters have never met.

Despite the generation gap, and leaving aside all the usual horoscope baloney, they do indeed have much in common.

For starters, they have distinguished family backgrounds. The second son of the 11th Baronet Every. Much of Charles' early life was spent in the historic mansion of Egginton Hall in Derbyshire, Egland.

The Anderson sisters are direct descendants of the greatest Scottish bard, Robert Burns, and their original home was a castle near St Andrews in the kingdom of Fife in eastern Scotland.

Neither Charles nor the twins show any signs of pretentious aristocracy and they have certainly downsized in terms of accommodation.

Charles was educated at Harrow, one of England's foremost public schools, founded in 1572 by a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth 1. He disliked the school because “the people there were all too posh”.

The Anderson girls attended the Algarve International School in Porches, before studying for international baccalaureate diplomas back in Scotland.

A the age of 20, Charles was studying for a degree in architecture at London University. The Andersons are at present studying at King's College, London, for degrees in international relations.

Charles became familiar with international matters in his twenties during the Second World War. He served with the British armed forces in India and Burma. After the war he spent more than two decades pursuing a successful career as a town planner in South Africa.

On deciding to move to Europe in his early fifties, Charles ended up buying a house on the outskirts of Carvoeiro and moved into it permanently in 1969. He has lived here ever since.

The Anderson twins were just four months old when their parents, Fiona and John, brought them to settle in the Algarve in 1998.

In Charles' generation the young faced a deeply uncertain future because the world then was steeped in social and economical turbulence as well as international conflict. And so it is for Mariota and Cariona's generation today.

It's a very different world now, of course, with very different challenges. Life was generally much better in the old days, according to Charles.

The Anderson twins acknowledge that modern technology has both bettered some everyday problems and worsened others, but say that as students they must remain optimistic.

People generally are living longer nowadays. Population statistics have soared. The total population of the world when Charles was a lad was less than two billion. It's now about 7.6 billion. If the Anderson twins make it to Charles' present age, the world will be inhabited by an estimated 11.8 billion.

Females have long had a higher life expectancy than males, though the gap is narrowing. In Britain, when Charles was born, the average life expectancy for a man was 60 years. Today the average life expectancy in Western Europe is79 for a man and 84 for a woman.

As for Brexit or no Brexit, Britain for Charles is a thing of the distant past.. He intends to spend the rest of his days in Portugal and in the place he loves most of all the aquatic garden in his Carvoeiro home.
     While specialising in international relations, either or both of the Anderson twins may wish to pursue careers abroad, but their beloved “home” will always be the Algarve.

Mariota and Catriona 

Recent photo of Charles by Lisa

+ Sadly, Charles had to spend his birthday in hospital and undergo hip surgery after an early morning fall. He is  recovering but, given his age, is expected to remain in hospital for a week or more .

Expats given agreed assurances

The British Government has published details of the agreement reached in Brussels this week on the rights for UK nationals and their families living in Portugal and the other EU countries after the UK leaves the Union.

The agreement is just part of phase one in the Brexit negotiations and comes with the caveat that nothing is finally agreed until everything is agreed on an orderly withdrawal.

The latest British Government statement emphasises the following points:

Agreement on rights for UK nationals and their families 

• UK nationals, as well as their family members covered by the agreement, who are lawfully residing in a EU27 Member State by 29 March 2019, will be able to continue to reside in that Member State.
• Children born or adopted outside of a UK national’s resident Member State after the 29 March 2019 will also be covered by this agreement.
• Close family members (spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners, dependent children and grandchildren and dependent parents and grandparents) will be able to join UK nationals in their Member State of residence after exit under these rules, where the relationship existed on 29 March 2019 and continues to exist when they wish to move to join their UK national family member.
• EU27 Member States may require UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement to apply to obtain a status conferring the right of residence and/or obtain a residency document. Administrative procedures for applications for status will be transparent, smooth and streamlined. Where an application is required to obtain status, UK nationals will have at least two years to submit their applications. Residence documents will be issued free of charge or for a charge not exceeding that imposed on nationals for the issuing of similar documents. Further information on these administrative procedures will be provided when available.
• UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement will be able to be absent from their Member State of residence for up to 5 years without losing their right to return.
• UK nationals and their family members covered by the agreement will continue to have the same access as they currently do to healthcare, pensions and other benefits.

UK nationals who move to the EU after 29 March 2019

For UK nationals who move to the EU after the UK’s withdrawal on 29 March 2019, the proposed implementation period (announced by the Prime Minister in her Florence speech in September) would mean they can still live, work and study in the EU after the UK has left the EU. How long this period lasts is subject to negotiations, however it is likely to be around 2 years.

Details of the immigration rules for UK nationals who wish to move to the EU after 29 March 2019 and during the implementation period are yet to be agreed. We will publish more details as soon as possible, to give UK nationals and businesses enough time to plan and prepare.

UK nationals living in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states

The agreement reached with the European Commission does not cover UK nationals living in the European Free Trade Association states (Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland). The UK is seeking to secure the same protections for UK nationals living in EFTA states as for UK nationals living in the EU, on a reciprocal basis, through agreements with EFTA states.

Current status of UK nationals in the EU

Until the UK leaves the EU, the UK remains a full member of the EU and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. This means:

Until the UK leaves the EU, the UK remains a full member of the EU and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. This means:

Travelling in the EU – passports and healthcare

• UK nationals can continue to travel freely within the EU using a UK passport
• there continue to be no visa requirements for UK nationals entering another EU country
• UK nationals can continue to access healthcare during temporary visits to EU countries using the European Health Insurance Card.

Living and working in the EU – property, pensions and healthcare

• UK nationals retain their legal status as EU citizens and can continue to work and live in EU countries
• UK nationals can continue to receive healthcare in EU countries
• UK nationals can continue to retire and collect their pensions in EU countries.

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Should neutering pets be mandatory?

Dogs have long been regarded as “man´s best friend” and cats are often considered adorable, but stray or abandoned animals pose a huge problem in Portugal and there’s no solution in sight.

It’s a worldwide conundrum. The European Union estimates there are about one hundred million homeless dogs and cats across the continent.

A single unspayed female dog and her offspring can produce 67, 000 puppies in six years.

A similar exponential calculation concludes that in seven years a single cat and her offspring can produce a population of 370,000.

In Portugal, despite updated protection laws and the dedicated work of veterinarians, municipal authorities and animal welfare charities, the problem of homeless animals continues to multiply.

Sterilisation – spaying females and castrating males – seems the most humane and practical means of control, yet it’s viewed by many people as cruel, immoral, or even religiously sinful.

Traditional anti-sterilisation sentiment – especially about castration - is still common in Portugal.

So is the practice of dumping unwanted animals by the wayside or in rubbish bins. The threat of criminal prosecution, fines or even jail sentences for abuse or abandonment is frequently ignored.

Animals on the loose are vulnerable to malnutrition, injury and disease, as well as pregnancies that proliferate the suffering.

Conflicting and muddled attitudes on what to do about this are compounded when emotion takes precedence over rational thinking. Awareness education is increasingly needed.

But the real nub of the matter is money.

Pet animals are usually abandoned because owners are unable or unwilling to pay for basic food and medical essentials.

Abandoned dogs and cats that don’t perish from starvation, road accidents or mutilation in garbage trucks usually end up in municipal compounds or charity shelters, all of which struggle with limited funds. Taxpayers and donors foot the bills.

Municipal centres are overcrowded with unwanted animals. Before last year’s parliamentary decision to ban culling except in cases to relieve intolerable suffering, an estimated 100,000 street animals were being collected and “put down” in Portugal each year.

The ban was generally welcomed, but it is still controversial and has intensified the need for municipal facilities. The difficulty of rehoming municipal kennel and cattery inmates is acute. No one wants to adopt a pet unless it is lovable and certainly not if it is uncontrollably aggressive or feral.

Of course, dogs and cats support profitable businesses, notably veterinary clinics and suppliers of pet food.

Sterilisation may only be carried out by qualified and registered veterinary surgeons, and it generates a significant part of their income.

The going rates vary considerably between vets. Depending on weight, the charge for sterilising a male dog ranges from about €90 to €150, and for a female €150 to €300. For male cats, it costs about €50 to €65 and for females €80 to €125.

But vets will sterilise for charities at much lower prices. To avoid paying a vet the full rate, those who rescue one or more animals and want to arrange sterilisation can apply for a discount through a charity.

Animal welfare groups and municipal kennels and catteries are intensely busy. They operate independently with strong-minded leaders who have differing priorities.

It is understandable, therefore, why sterilisation campaigns in the Algarve have been sporadic, limited in scope and localised. There has been a lack of regional cohesion.

Sterilisation laws exist elsewhere in various forms. Some places in the US, for example, demand that animals be sterilised by the age of four months.

It would be culturally difficult to introduce and strictly impose such legislation in Portugal. But one line of thinking here is that if mandatory sterilisation is not possible then it must be made much easier to arrange. Incentives could include lowering licensing and insurance costs for owners of neutered animals.

It is increasingly hard to find anyone – individuals or organisations – willing or able to rehome animals. Facebook is full of applicants. There are simply too many abandoned dogs and cats in need of personal care.

Foreigner residents strongly support their Portuguese counterparts in animal charity work. And foreigners, including visitors, have been helping with the burden of rehoming by sending animals for adoption abroad, especially to the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.

The problem here is acute but mercifully less abhorrent than last week’s BBC revelations that cruel puppy breeding is taking place in the UK on “an industrial scale”. A criminal trade in puppies reaping hundreds of millions of pounds has been booming with the approach of Christmas. Many of the puppies will become unwanted in the New Year.