Beach security operation, Sharks explained, Galp profits & car sales down,

TODAY’S PHOTO : The Barqueiro, or boatman. One of the well known sights situated in Vila Baleira on Porto Santo Island

Front Page News : source : Diário de Notícias 10/8/2008

The police have been carrying out a security operation on the beach and swimming complexes in Funchal in an effort to deter and catch thieves that prey on the users. They are also focusing on commercial centres in an attempt to reduce theft. So far 8 people have been detained, including a man caught on Praia Formosa beach in possession of several items belonging to a tourist. I wonder if it’s an undercover operation on the beaches, and in order to catch the thieves the police are out in their swimming costumes? If so, where do they stash their police radios, handcuffs and gun etc when patrolling? Just a thought …

Continuing the story of the Hammer head shark spotted in the seas at Caniço (Reis Magos), a marine biologist explains that there several species of shark in the sea around Madeira, but there is no record of any attack on a human to date. “The sharks are less likely to attack because the sea is not warm enough to make them very active”. Efforts to photograph the sharks usually end up with nothing, because the sharks flee when seeing humans close up, but because of ´short vision´ do not normally see humans until they are fairly close. If they do bite, it is normally to identify what is in the vicinity. I am not sure I quite understand that last bit … so if the shark sees a human, it thinks what is that creature? Then he takes a bite, and from the taste comes to the conclusion that it tastes like a human, even if they haven’t recognised it.

Other News from the past week:

Galp Energy profit downturn of €214 million. The major petrol supplier for Madeira, and also a natural gas supplier, declared a 25% decrease in profits for the first half of 2008 compared to the same period next year.

Car sales on Madeira are being hit hard by the economic downturn, with the first 6 months of this year showing a reduction in sales of 288 compared to the same period last year. That’s just new cars. The ‘used’ car market is even worse, with 1,306 less cars being sold over the same periods, that’s down 59.2%. The reduction is blamed on the erosion of the average Madeiran’s buying power through the increasing cost of living, and high interest rates.

Hard up taxi drivers will have something to smile about, after an agreement was reached with one of Madeira’s petrol supplies ‘Repsol’. In future taxis will be able to fill up at any one of 21 petrol stations and receive a discount of around 3 centythingies a litre, and also 10% discount on other products.

A week on Saturday (23rd) sees the arrival of famous DJ Joyce Mercedes at the Calheta beach party. The dutch performer has appeared in over 50 countries during the last 7 years. I saw one of these modern dj’s in action recently, and apart from the fact that they hop around a lot whilst pressing buttons (it seems there are no discs involved these days), I can’t really see why they have celebrity status. The guys I remember doing birthday and wedding parties years ago used to get about €50 a night, but this new breed can earn thousands from one performance. … can anyone help me out here?

The mosquito ‘aedes aegyti’ that arrived on Madeira 3 years ago is proliferating and continuing to be a pest in some parts of central Funchal. Disinfection after disinfection, repellents of varied types, mosquito nets and other measures, nothing seems to be capable to do away with this insect. The zones of Santa Luzia, Santa Maria Maior, São Pedro and Sé are the ones affected.

That’s it for today … I’m off now to paint my car yellow, and perhaps I will add a blue stripe?

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