Botanical society challenges impact approval for Comporta farming project

The Portuguese Botanical Society (SPBotânica) has written an open letter opposing a conditional environmental approval granted to the Herdades da Murta e Monte Novo II agroforestry project, located within the Comporta/Galé Natura 2000 protected area. The letter warns the project threatens rare dune habitats, wetlands and endemic species dependent on groundwater, and notes around 3,000 hectares of natural habitat have already been converted to intensive farming since 2019. It also says an LNEG assessment warning of aquifer collapse was disregarded in the approval. SPBotânica is calling on the government, ICNF and Alcácer do Sal council to review the decision and enforce the site's conservation plan.