IPIMAR, THE Portuguese institute of investigation of fishing activities and the sea, has announced its desire to promote scuba diving to Algarve tourists, in order to make the activity more sustainable in the region.
The plan is part of a study integrated in the project, SUBMED – Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Subaquatic Tourism, which will be completed this September.
Miguel Neves dos Santos, a biology investigator for IPIMAR, described how the underwater sport will be “treated as an activity developed from the viewpoint of economic sustainability. There is a sufficient gap in the internal market due to the high number of visitors in the high season”.
He warned, however, about the necessity of diving instructors and students to adopt an attitude of good practice in the sea, in order to reduce any damage to the reef or sea life caused by diving in deep waters. Each year, there are around 25,000 underwater dives in the Algarve.
