TWO THOUSAND youths are set to patrol 153 beaches this summer as the new season gets underway.
The details of the National Vigilance Programme were announced during a recent ceremony. Representatives of the Portuguese Youth Institute and from 39 municipalities with beaches that had been awarded the coveted Blue Flag were present at the event. Also attending was Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, Laurentino Dias.
Beach attendants, aged between 15 and 25, will monitor water quality, environmental management and beach equipment. Teams will be provided with transport to the beaches and will work for 10 days, with three or four hours of work each day for two euros an hour.
A total of 191 beaches will hoist the coveted Blue Flag this summer, 29 more than last year. Of these, 48 are in the Algarve, 45 in Lisbon and the Vale do Tejo, 32 in the north, 25 in the Azores, 14 in Madeira, 14 in the centre and 12 in the Alentejo.
