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Marina do Funchal

Blue Flag

The program of the Blue Flag of Europe has been initiated at European level in 1987, integrated in the European Year of the Environment. This initiative of FEE, with support from the European Commission, is aimed to raise the level of awareness of citizens in general and policy makers in particular to the need to protect the marine and coastal environment and encourage the implementation of measures leading to solve their problems.


Blue Flag and Marina do Funchal

The Blue Flag is an important award for environmental quality and the Marina of Funchal has the Blue Flag since 1989. Annually the Portuguese  Blue Flag Association, presents the award to the marinas that meet a set of criteria, including education and environmental information, environmental management, security and services and water quality. The role of the Marina of Funchal, in order to attain the Blue Flag, sees to reward the work done to developed, preserve and improve its facilities. In terms of recent actions, and for better environmental quality, the Marina of Funchal acquired mobile pumping equipment to collect the waste and litter dropped by boats, put eco-points in each pontoon and created a committee responsible for defining and implementing an environmental management system.


Code of conduct

The small individual Blue Flag can be awarded to interested boat owners/users wanting to contribute to the Blue Flag Campaign.

The Blue Flag is available in the Marina of Funchal to owners of local and foreign vessels.

The boat owner signs an environmental code of conduct declaring that he/she will act according the issues outlined in the code of conduct.

The following issues are included in the environmental code of conduct:

  • I will not throw garbage into the sea or along the coast.
  • I will not release toilet water in the sea in coastal waters and sensitive areas.
  • I will not release poisonous or toxic waste (oil, paint, used batteries, cleaning agents, etc.) in the sea. I will deliver these types of waste to the containers in the marina.
  • I will promote and use recycling facilities (glass, paper, etc).
  • I will use the most environmentally friendly products among paints, anti-fouling, paint remover, detergents, etc, that are available and work efficiently.
  • I will instantly report pollution or other violation of environmental regulations to the authorities.
  • I will not use forbidden fishing equipment and I will respect periods when fishing is prohibited.
  • I will protect animals and plants in the sea, including no disturbance of breeding birds,  seals or other marine mammals.
  • I will respect vulnerable and nature protected areas.
  • I will avoid damage of the sea bottom, e.g. in the way that I anchor.
  • I will avoid disturbing fishery or fishing equipment.
  • I will not buy or use objects made from protected species or from archaeological underwater findings.
  • I will encourage other sailors to also take care of the environment.

NOTE: While staying in the MARINA or cruising around the sea, the Blue Flag must be flying at the portside halyard, or a mast on the upper part of the boat.