Madeira News Blog

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Martin … "Picture of a typical Madeiran street scene, very tasty!". I don’t judge or select photos, just about everything (within reason) gets published, and I thought twice about this one, but it grew on me in the end.

"The summer time bite has gone, but what a great season it was for Madeira. There were at least 10 fish pushing GRANDER status caught by the boats this season. This is VERY much a no kill fishery and they take great pride in that". ONE FOR THE FISHERMEN

Man killed in Bairro da Nogueira – Police investigate a homicide that occurred Wednesday night. A man of 33 years died after suffering a violent blow to the head, and the reason may be "excessive self-defence". The police are investigating a crime of murder that occurred late on Wednesday, after 10 pm, in the neighbourhood of Nogueira, in Camacha. Two men, aged 33 and 29 years, one armed with a knife, engaged in mutual aggression that occurred in Rua do Vimioso, at the housing estate, but the tragic outcome actually happened in the house of the alleged murderer. The victim who suffered the blow to the head, was struck by an object like a bat or baton, and succumbed to his injuries.

The Diário today has on the front page a health feature, warning that we on Madeira have bad eating habits :

Too much fat through cakes, meat and chocolate – Too much sugar through drinks and sweets in general – Too much salt added to meals, and in processed food purchased – Not eating breakfast – Excess of alcoholic drinks – Excessive meals (with a picture showing a very full English breakfast). The good news is that page 4 of the Diário give suggestions for healthier eating, especially timed for world healthy eating day, but I suspect that the real information is only in the printed edition, and not online, I will check tonight. I don’t know what is the matter with these ‘health experts’. They say you should always eat breakfast, and then say that an English breakfast is not healthy. They say you should drink alcohol in moderation, and then tell you that a weeks alcohol allocation in one night is not right. It’s all so confusing, and fried muesli on a Saturday morning just doesn’t do the trick.

Many thanks to Elaine for the rest of yesterday’s news :

Mistake acknowledged by the Diário in yesterday’s lottery story. Only half of the winning stakes were sold in the shop cited. The owner said the remaining portions were distributed to the ‘Loja do Cafe’ in Machico.

Teachers still waiting. Recently, there have been repeated complaints that teachers have not had their evaluations, necessary for career progression. Unlike the Azores and the Mainland, the teachers in Madeira have not been able to have their grades and salaries changed since 2005, resulting in some loosing an increase of 200 Euros per month, which is usually linked to length of service. The two teacher’s unions met with the Regional Secretary of Education who promised the evaluations would begin again and money backdated, but no date was given for the Government to meet to agree on a new evaluation model.

90% of the firemen in Santana enrolled in the Union. More discontent. There are anonymous complaints (for fear of retaliation) to the newspaper that there are not enough firefighters and the training is  insufficient. The Commander in Santana is unhappy that the staff have chosen to publically complain and refutes their allegations, saying "he never neglected the safety of the population."  The union have met the management but still worry about the mountainous terrain, number of population and tourists served, especially Pico Ruivo visitors, increased traffic due to new access roads and that there are insufficient men to cover.

Pedro receives a wheelchair. After two years of being confined to his parent’s house, 22-year old Pedro, who has profound cerebral palsy, received a specially-adapted wheelchair. 4,600 Euros was raised for the wheelchair through activities of the Jardim Escola Joao de Deus in Nazaré, where the wheelchair was presented at a ceremony on Wednesday. The Special Education and Rehabilitation Services care for 184 children and adults with physical disabilities, 18 of whom are institutionalized.

Dirty, smelly but happy.  Description of the mood yesterday afternoon of 350 new University of Madeira students who are having a week of ‘freshmen’ activities. The traditional parade was between the campuses and the port, for the baptism in the bay. This was helpful to wash off the ‘desserts’ (eggs, flour, ketchup, any smelly food) thrown at them by veterans. It was voluntary and attended by the majority of new students who found it enjoyable. According to the Diário de Cidade, there was no shortage of alcohol.

TUI hold the Holly awards ceremony in Funchal this year. Instead of Germany, the tour operator has decided to relocate the ceremony to the countries of the winners. It is on October 21st. at the Museum Quinta das Cruzes, as both the museum and gardens are important tourist areas. As well as the Pestana chain and Porto Bay receiving awards, the Albergaria Dias has been ranked the top position by the German customers of TUI.

Madeira on the route of scientific-themed cruises. The expeditionary ship, the ‘National Geographic Explorer’ with 80, mainly American, tourists docked on Thursday and leaves on Friday at 16.00. It is the first time this type of ship has arrived so  it will be greeted with a reception aboard for the passengers and the Ships Enthusiast’s Club members. There is a team of scientists on board to advise the tourists and it arrived from Lisbon and will go to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and then Brazil. It has had permission to anchor by the Deserta Grande island so passengers can disembark to visit the nature reserve.

Catches of the black scabbard fish plummet again. In the first seven months of this year, there were 505 tonnes less than normal auctioned. February to April were the worst months and in the first six months, the fishermen’s income dropped by 23% or 896,000 Euros. In July, the catch dropped by 16%, a loss of 58,000 Euros. The reduction in catch is both due to reduced stocks and size of fish. They are now having to go further out to sea, between 600 and 800 miles from Madeira, thus increasing their fuel bill.

In contrast, the tuna fish catch has increased by 341 tonnes to 1841 tonnes.  The best months have been May and June.

Madeira asks for special treatment of the outermost territories. At the Conference of the Presidents of the Outermost Territories, in the Canary Islands, the Vice President of the Madeiran Government stated that when Brussels evaluated these regions for aid, they under-evaluated the compensation the EU should allow in the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013, especially with ongoing international negotiations on the banana. The regions also have had unequal treatment in transport policy and the chairman of the meeting insists that the EC President, Jose Barroso, asks for specific support for the regions which is needed to counteract the effect of the economic crisis.

Open Day at the Centre for Floriculture on Saturday. Lugar de Baixo in Ponta do Sol. To raise awareness of subtropical plant cultivation.

Madeira Wine Tasting at the Portuguese Embassies in Paris and London. Five Madeira Wine companies took part, aimed at promoting the wines to journalists, retailers, distributors and chefs. The English market in 2008 was the second largest for export, consuming 242,919.50 litres and a turnover of 1,447,092.98 Euros. I wonder where the half litre went … was that you Martin? Der

PSP Police give safety advice to elderly in Santa Cruz. Organised by the Casa do Povo de Santa Cruz. Thought necessary as an increased number of older people, more living alone and scams. They were instructed to break old habits, like leaving a door key under the mat or leaving the door wide open when visiting neighbours. Advice was also; to have a telephone ready for emergencies, not to open the door to strangers or sign proposals that come from them, have a door-chain fitted, strengthen entry points and have adequate lighting. Also be suspicious in the street of certain approaches when going out to obtain money.

Harrods will sell gold bars. According to the Diário Digital, Harrods in London will now sell gold bars and coins. They will also buy back the gold at any time at the market price. "Harrods is known for its innovation and first class service. It’s our formula for success" the store said in a statement.

The Diário has published details of the Apple Festival in Camacha which starts tonight.

Program – XXIV Apple Festival
Friday, October 16
14 hours – Decorate the stage – schools of the 1st Cycle of Camacha
20 hours – Animation and Karaoke with DJ Silva
Saturday, October 17
16 hours – Beginning of the manufacture and sale of cider apple Camacha
17 hours – Official – Entities visit stands
17.15 – Group of Pilgrimages Old Rochão
20 hours – Group of Pilgrimages and Traditions of Camacha
20:45 – Folk Dance Group of the House of People’s Camacha
21.30 – Banda Parish of St. Lawrence
22:30 – Conjunto Musical ‘New Wave’
Sunday, October 18
12 hours – Beginning of the manufacture and sale of cider apple Camacha
17 hours – Folklore Group of Rochão
18 hours – Folklore Group of Good Hope
18:30 – Grupo Folklore Juvenile Camacha
19 hours – avenged
20 hours – Duo Musical ‘Wave Duo’
22 hours – Musical Group of the Magi

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(more…)

I am afraid its a lot of political headlines today, because of the visit of the leader of the social democrats to Madeira yesterday. Starting with Madeira headlines though:

(8th September). ‘Illegal Fishing With Nets Spreads In Various Zones – The commander of Zona Marítima da Madeira reveals that this year already 9 prosecutions have been instigated because of illegal fishing’. Illegal fishing with nets is "regular practice" in the Region he says. In Porto Moniz this particularly happens, however, Cândido Coelho, commander of ZMM says there are more areas where this is going on. At Porto Moniz the fishing takes place at night to avoid detection, and huge nets are used to maximise the catch. One man who came forward to expose the situation, is a diver in the waters around Porto Moniz, and says that he and his fellow divers have noticed a reduction in the number of fish, causing resentment amongst the local fishermen, but they don’t denounce the activity for fear of reprisals. Cândido Coelho explains that fishing with nets is prohibited along the coast and when done by small boats, and considers this kind of practice "very worrying", because it is a "type of fishing that is quite devastating for some species". Anyone aware of such activity is requested to notify the Maritime Police. 11 cases were prosecuted last year, with 9 more so far this year.

‘Constitutional Tribunal Devastates São Vicente’. I can’t find the story behind this headline at present, but will fill in the gaps when / if I do.

‘Quay of Santa Cruz without rules – Boats block access while the cars abuse the parking’. Users of the quay complain about the behaviour of others who block access, and drivers who use the pier as a permanent parking place. It is impossible to embark or disembark by boat says one complainant. The council were unable to offer any explanation for the situation.

‘Theatre United In The Art Centre – A group of youths from the cast of ‘The Burning City’ – play premieres on Friday’. The show in the Centro das Artes Casa das Mudas will have 5 showings until Monday. The project involves a group of young people who follow an interest in the art of Talma(?). A percentage of the money raised goes to research in medicine, sponsored by the Portuguese League Against Cancer.

An infant school in Câmara de Lobos was the only school in Portugal recognised in a European competition which attracted 1,600 entries. The school was amongst the 10 winners for producing a film about a Spring day in Europe. It’s more of a short slideshow actually, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two adults had a hand in the production. I liked it. RIBEIRO DE ALFORRA You need to select Portugal in the country list, and then the picture 4th along on the second row.

‘Columbus ‘lands’ Again On Porto Santo – The Columbus festival runs from 10th to 12th September’. The three day festival promises to liven up Porto Santo, starting on Thursday. The ‘coming ashore’ of Christopher Columbus and the parade are the high points of the festival, with a medieval fair, and a stand with typical cakes of the island for the first time. The Regional Secretary for Tourism invests around €108,000 in the event in the hope of attracting many tourists to Porto Santo. The hotel occupancy rate is hoped to exceed 50%. Can you believe €108,000 is spent, but I suppose it’s loose change up to what is spent in Funchal. Anyway if they have to revive Chris every year, that can’t be cheap.

A police search in Bairro da Palmeira, in Câmara de Lobos at the weekend resulted in 4 arrests and 1,200 heroin fixes being seized. Also over the period, there were 33 road accidents causing 7 serious injuries, and 16 arrests for drink driving.

Iran’s table tennis champ Noshad Alamiyan has won the men’s individual title at the 13th Madeira International Open MADEIRA OPEN

Politics

‘Funchal can ask for more than €43 million – The debt capacity of the local authority was confirmed by the Directorate-General’. The Directorate-General of the local authorities informed Funchal Council that its borrowing capacity for 2009 amounts to €43.5 million. The decision has confirmed the authority as a good credit risk in good financial shape, according to a social democrat counsellor. Funchal is one of the few câmaras in Portugal that has managed to maintain a significant credit rating.

Today’s main news headline : ‘PSD Stifles Opposition – Yesterday, in various gatherings on Madeira, some parties of opposition were prevented from participating in meetings of delegates for the appointment of staff for the voting tables used in the elections. The police were called to intervene in Calheta’. The social democrats were under fire again, when they left opposition politicians shut outside of various parish councils (Juntas de Freguesia), as they then chose the staff who would man the voting tables during the national elections later this month. The meetings had been scheduled for 7 pm yesterday, and in many cases took just a few minutes, catching opposition delegates by surprise. In one case a socialist delegate says he arrived 3 minutes late to find the selection process all over. That delegate in Estreito da Calheta called the police, and the matter will be reported to the National Elections Commission (CNE).

The main front page photo today is a rather bland view of President Jardim and the national leader of the PSD getting into a car : ‘Lifts’ And Insult Embarrass Leader Of The PSD – She came on a party campaign but left in a vehicle of the regional government. She denied the lift, as she did with the ‘asphyxiation’, and even went to an inauguration that wasn’t on the schedule’. President Jardim is accused of misleading his political boss, by taking her to two inaugurations in tiny Furna (Ribeira Brava), when her plan was to spend her time out on the streets. She knew she was going to Tabua to honour a counsellor with over 60 years of party service, but was unaware of Jardim’s other plans after that. That situation was confirmed by a party spokesman, who referred to the agenda that had been sent by email. As regarding the ‘lift’ in an official government vehicle, Ferreira Leite strongly denied this earlier in the day, but Jardim insisted in taking her back to the airport, and almost forced her to enter the official presidency car.

‘Manuela Ferreira Leite Guarantees To Change The Regional Finance Law If Her Party Wins The Elections Of 27th September – Leader of the PSD says that she didn’t find democratic asphyxiation on Madeira’. At the side of Alberto João Jardim yesterday morning she wandered through the streets of Funchal. In a time of pre-election campaign Manuela Ferreira Leite stressed that she could not miss a visit to Madeira, a region she says is "a bastion of unmovable PSD". It is her first visit to Madeira  since becoming leader of the social democrats. She also said that she did not feel that there is a choking democracy, contrary to what happens on the mainland. A view shared by president Jardim, who accused journalists and some politicians of not respecting the rights of local people. Of course they are both right, as democracy only happens on election day here. so how can it be choked on the other days. I did nip out late afternoon, hoping to have a word with Manuela on her visit to Ribeira Brava, and I waited an hour and a half for an exclusive interview, but she didn’t turn up. I gave up when I heard on the radio that she was unexpectedly visiting the high zones of Ribeira Brava. The democratic ‘asphyxiation’ issue was created by the socialist party, after president Jardim refused to take part in pre-election cross party political debates.

In yet another headline story related to the visit of the PSD leader, the Diário again made a big deal out of the fact that an official car of the Presidency of the Government of Madeira was used to give Ferreira Leite a lift to the airport, when her visit was for party political matters, as well as her involvement in two inaugurations which should of course be politically unbiased. It says that opposition parties see the matters as a scandal, and accuse her of double standards, and the matters have even attracted national attention. Comments are reproduced from several party spokesmen on the matter, and none very complementary. How anyone can still be shocked by the behaviour of Uncle Bertie, who it seems was the instigator of both matters of complaint? If he hadn’t done those things I would have been more surprised. I think she must be embarrassed by the matters though, as on the continent, rules such as those broken, are expected to be followed.

‘PS Lead But Without Absolute Majority’. A poll carried out by the Morning Post newspaper in Portugal, gives the PS socialists a lead in the race for power, in the national elections due to be held on 27th September. The results are PS 34.5%, PSD 28.9%, BE Left Block 10%, and CDU communists 7.8%.

UPDATE :

(In desperation, trying to get away from politics) From today’s Jornal da Madeira :

‘Porto Santo will have €7.2 million for water – Government will improve the irrigation for agriculture’. The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources said yesterday that up until the end of the current political mandate, there is €7.3m destined for Porto Santo, aimed in the main at improving agricultural water supplies, but also to include drinking water supply and waste water management. The response capacity for water needs will be for 30,000 people, far far more than the resident population.

(27th August). ‘Passenger That Travel On 28th And 29th Need To Check Before Going To The Airports – ANA-Airports of Portugal appeals to passengers to contact the airlines and travel agents’. The first two day strike of TAP airlines starts tomorrow, involving staff represented by 5 trade unions. Cancellations and delays are expected, and ANA, the airports operator, wants to avoid unpleasant situations at the airports. More information is published in today’s newspapers and on the TAP website (there is a link on the right hand side of this page), or ring 218 431144. The next strike is planned for the 11th and 12th of September.

‘More Fish (Long Bill) And Tourists / Fishermen – August has more customers, but it doesn’t hide the crisis facing the industry’. "The business is no longer what it was. Customers are fewer in number, hence the month of August has around 30% less than the same period last year. However, it is noted that demand is much better than that of early-season (June), because in that month the (boat) charters fell almost 50%". So says Pedro Gonçalves of the company NAUTISANTOS, Ltd. "Yet we have had charters almost every day, which is always good" he says, referring to a mini recovery for his big game fishing business. There are many long bill fish this season says another businessman in the sector, saying that warmer seas are bringing them in closer to shore. Madeira is known as one of the best places in the world for this type of fishing, and in 2008 430 Blue Marlin catches were made, 12 of them weighing over 1,000 pounds (454 kgs). One other attractive feature is that from port to the best fishing zones is very short, needing just 5 minutes to be able to start fishing. In other European big game fishing locations the travelling is usually an hour or more.

‘New Tourist Office In Rossio’. The deal has been done, but the official announcement won’t be until September. The Regional Secretary of Tourism and Transport has already signed the lease with a company for the use of a space that will be between the Rossio and Praça do Comércio, in downtown Lisbon. The old office for Madeira Tourism in Portugal closed suddenly some months ago.

‘Hotels On Madeira And The Algarve Maintain Staffing Levels – The main hotel groups say that demand is sufficiently good to maintain jobs’. The regions most affected by rising unemployment in July were the Algarve and Madeira, according to the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, but the hotels say they have maintained the employment levels from previous years. Figures released in July showed that unemployment had increased over a year by 50.3% on Madeira, and 104.2% in the Algarve. The Pestana Group, with 10 hotels here and 8 in the Algarve, says it has kept the same number of workers, and taken on temporary workers. Vila Galé group, also operating in both locations, also said it had not cut back on staff. It just shows the profits they used to make in the good old days then, if they can maintain the same overheads with much reduced revenue.

(26th August). ‘Salary Bank Accounts* Save Up To 240 Euros Per Year – "As a rule, they are free of maintenance costs (bank charges) or do not charge an annual fee for the cards". This applies especially if managed through the Internet, says a study by DECO, the Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection. The study covered 19 banks, of which 6 claimed to provide an "account for citizens with low incomes", i.e. providing a minimum level of banking services. DECO is challenging the Ministry of Finance to create a citizen’s account, accessible to any customer, with reduced maintenance costs and a free debit card. Deco also notes that some transactions can be carried out at multibanco (ATM) machines for less than it would cost on the telephone or at the bank counter. The full report is due to be published next month. It is my understanding that a conta-ordenado*, is for people working and having salaries paid in, but I think it is the same account that I have for example, with nothing being paid in on a regular basis, but is subject to no bank charges as long as a minimum balance is maintained, but I am not 100% certain, and it may vary with different banks.