The Port of Lisbon is placed in one of the greatest and richest estuaries in Europe, with regards to natural values.
The greater part of the area under the jurisdiction of the Port, located in the upstream part of the estuary, is considered in a variety of statutes related to the conservation of nature resulting from its designation:
· At national level, as a Protected Area - Natural Reserve of the Tagus Estuary
· At community level, as a site in the Natura 2000 Network, resulting from the interest in conservation, with regards to species, given the large number of species occurrences listed in the annexes to the Aves Directive - Special Protection Zone of the Tagus Estuary. Also in the scope of the Habitats Directive relating to the occurrence of Habitats that need preserving – Site of Communitarian Importance - and as an place included in the European Council’s Network of Biogenetic Reserves.
· At an international level, as a place integrated on the List of RAMSAR Convention Places, relating to Humid Zones of International Importance, especially with reference to the habitats of aquatic birds.
The Port’s area of jurisdiction is confined to the territories of eleven municipalities that surround the Tagus Estuary: Alcochete, Almada, Barreiro, Benavente, Lisboa, Loures, Moita, Montijo, Oeiras, Seixal e Vila Franca de Xira.
The greater part of the Port’s operational area in Lisbon can be found in the central zone of the capital.
In this context, frequent conflicts of interests between the Port and the adjacent cities occur and, more generically, all the urban zones that surround the Estuary and nature conservation.
For this reason, the Administration of the Port of Lisbon has adopted a pro-active attitude towards conciliating its activities and its projects for development and expansion, with the interests of the neighboring populations and nature conservation, taking action at a strategic level.
In operational terms, APL still guarantees the daily management of environmental questions related with ships and services that it manages and offers and with the Port’s operation and related activities, currently naval repair and nautical recreation.
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