The environmental association Quercus classified 356 beaches as “Gold Quality” this year, 38 fewer than in the 2023 swimming season, with the Tagus/West and North regions recording the biggest increases of 74 and 71 respectively.
The association said in a statement that of the 356 beaches awarded, 291 are coastal (82%), 55 inland (15%) and 10 transitional (3%).
In coastal areas, 58 beaches in the Azores, 24 in Madeira, 55 in the Tagus and the west, 54 in the north, 58 in the Algarve, 17 in the center and 25 in the Alentejo were classified as “Gold Quality”.
In the interior, 16 were awarded from Tagus and Oeste, 14 in the north, 22 from the center and three from Alentejo.
Regarding the transitional beaches, they were classified as three in the Tagus and in the west, three in the north, three in the Alentejo and one in the Algarve.
Compared to 2023, according to Quercus, there was a decrease in the number of beaches awarded in the Algarve regions (26 fewer awards), followed by the Tagus and Oeste regions (24 fewer awards), a decrease of 31% and 24 awards. %, respectively.
According to the association, the same thing happened in the regions of Madeira (minus eight beaches) and Center (minus one beach).
The Autonomous Region of the Azores showed the most significant growth compared to 2023 (12 more awards), followed by Alentejo (three more awards) and the North (six more awards).
Quercus adds that this year there were 11 debut bathing areas awarded Gold quality for the first time, of which five are inland, four coastal and two transitional, located in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and Madeira, Central, Norte and Tagus and Occidental. .
This year, the association has recorded a sharp decline in coastal bathing waters, with 36 fewer awards compared to 2023.
“In inland bathing waters, compared to 2023, there was only one less award, while transitional bathing waters remained,” the note notes.
According to Quercus, the reduction in the number of awards was in most cases motivated by non-compliance with criteria relating to analyzes carried out in the 2023 swimming season.
“There was a certain persistent level of pollution that was not fully explained, but which may have been contributed by the influence of tourism pressure in some regions,” the association points out.
Quercus emphasizes that in some situations, “these episodes of contamination led to temporary bathing bans and influenced the parameters of “enterococci” and/or “Escherichia coli”, with the maximum values being taken into account when attributing this contamination. The premium has been exceeded.”
In the note, the association also notes the launch of an interactive map of beaches awarded with the Gold Quality Award, available at https://praiasouro.quercus.pt.
According to the environmental association, the Golden Beach Quality Award is awarded annually for the quality of bathing water on Portuguese beaches, based on available official public information and solely taking into account analyzes carried out in the laboratories of the various regional hydrographic offices.
To receive a Gold Quality beach classification, bathing water must meet several criteria, such as “excellent” water quality in the annual classification for the five swimming seasons preceding the last one and all analyzes carried out in the most recent swimming season (2023). should have performed better on several bacterial indicators.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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