Following years of protests by several environmental groups, The Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) has posted a video on the popular YouTube internet site, entitled Holocausto Ecológico (Ecological Holocaust).

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The film has received over 5.000 visits since it was placed online and has stirred angry comments from many viewers. The film shows scenes from the Salgados lagoon (Albufeira/Silves), during last year’s draining of the lake and includes shots of the construction site of a new golf resort that environmentalists claim is causing an ecological disaster for the natural area that is home to hundreds of rare birds. It is clear to see that draining the lake drastically reduces the amount of wildlife.

In a draft management plan for the Salgados area, the Regional Administrative Board (ARH) told the Barlavento newspaper that it had “taken measures to control the water, in terms of quality and quantity,” explaining that, “the lake depended on its regular opening to the sea,” but environmentalists have criticised local councils and institutes for ignoring the facts, and for allowing construction in the area.