Mixed Reactions to Massive Expansion of Canasvieiras Beach in Florianópolis

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The expansion of Canasvieiras beach, in Florianópolis the island of Santa Catarina in the South of Brazil, generated applause and reassurance for the property owners of the region; but it also caused the dissatisfaction of many bathers, particularly environmentalists.

Despite the many controversies and exhaustive legal procedures, the work began in September 2019 and will be delivered on Friday, January 17th.

With an estimated cost of R$10,5 (US$2.6) million, the work has made the strip of sand 30 to 35 meters wide. Before, it varied between one and five meters. In all, 2,325 meters of beach were foreseen in the expansion project, according to local news.

Follow the expansion works of Canasvieiras beach:

The issue, according to environmentalists, is that not all risk factors were taken into account. In a document entitled “Open letter from the phycology laboratory to the population and authorities of Florianópolis and Santa Catarina”, the Scientific-Technical staff of the Phycology laboratory of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (LAFIC – UFSC) alerted to “the risks that a work like this entails”.

The re-availability of nutrients may induce the occurrence of a red tide with all the known losses of these events to the economy of the region that has in fishing and mariculture important aspirations. In addition to this scenario, the sandbanks in question have already been the stage of harmful algal bloom events that potentially left cysts (“seeds”) in the region”.

Also according to the document, the environmental legislation, “attentive to these risks, requires prior analysis to ensure the safety of enterprises of this nature. The fact that the deposit is about 1 km from the coast enhances these risks”.

“We cannot ignore the fact that we are less than 10 km from the marine biological reserve of the trees, which will have its heritage threatened by this activity because, in addition to nutrients, many other pollutants accumulate in these sandbanks and are re-available by dredging”, they cautioned. The works, however, took place.

The sand used for its expansion was harvested from a deposit located near the beach. The works took place day and night. A large number of crushed shells can be seen.

According to reports published at the time of the bid, the estimate is that 344,685.97 m³ of fine sand of similar color and thickness to the existing one, would be dredged from an underwater deposit located at a distance of 1.4 km from the beach.

We reached the city hall of Florianópolis for three consecutive days, in order to determine the positive impacts that the works will bring for tourism, the communication department, however, despite promising a reply, the city failed to contact the paper by the time the story was completed.

Nature will present the bill

Some bathers complain that the number of holes on the beach made it dangerous. Canasvieiras is known as one of the quietest beaches on the island, due to the low depth of the shore.

A tourist from Novo Hamburgo (RS) wrote in a recent comment on the subject on a Facebook post, “Worst thing, it ruined the beach. It’s full of holes,” she said, being answered by another tourist from Osório (RS) “I also think so…then nature revolts…we think it’s bad”. “What guarantees are there that a high tide or other natural situation will force the sea to come back in and take its rightful place?”, asked a tourist.

https://www.facebook.com/CanasvieirasSantaCatarina/videos/474278410175775/

“That’s going to be a problem. The sea will claim this area by destroying and moving inland on another beach. Just wait. It has already happened in Botafogo, with the Aterro do Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro; it has already happened in Caraguatatuba (SP), the sea swallowed the next beach, Cocanha” wrote an internet user in a recent comment on Youtube.

According to hydrogeologist Rodrigo Sato, who holds a master’s degree from the University of São Paulo (USP), the works change the coastal dynamics. “The great impasse is that the average sea level is rising, so works of this nature become useless”.

“The erosive process is largely linked to this factor,” he says. According to him, “expansion works are palliative, so there will come a time when the sea will swallow this stretch of sand, and so it’s gone forever”.

“One example is Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro. There they have been doing this since the 1960s, otherwise there wouldn’t be a Copacabana Beach”.

Holes and drownings

According to the NSC portal, in January, due to cases of drowning on the beach, a task force was set up to increase safety in Canasvieiras. Since January 4th, signage and buoys alert bathers about the abrupt change of depth in the sea because of the works.

Internet user Lilian Bigaton wrote her concerns on the matter. “Oh my God… I used to like to go there because I’m alone with my daughter, and before the expansion, I could leave things under the parasol and go into the water with her. Now, with the holes?”, she said in a tone of concern when commenting on the subject with a friend on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/CanasvieirasSantaCatarina/videos/3356921557712973/

Economic Development

Infrastructure Secretary Valter Gallina told the NSC website that the work has high economic significance for the region. “It shows the importance of that work, which is symbolic, historical and will bring economic development to the population of Canasvieiras and the north of the island, raising the self-esteem of the residents and all beach users,” he said.

“It was a unique and challenging work. For decades we dreamed of expanding this beach that is now experiencing a new reality. Although it was short, we were able to meet the contractual deadline of January 22nd”.

The initial goal was to push works forward to December and avoid disturbances during the season. But the work is already showing how important it was by looking at this full beach with much more capacity,” said Mayor Gean Loureiro.

Shows and contradictions at the inauguration

According to the newspaper “Conexão” the inauguration would take place on January 18th, with a show by the ‘pagode’ band, Art Popular. Later, however, the show was canceled.

The City Hall announced that the inauguration will take place on Friday, January 17th, but did not mention any additional information.