"Ideally, if we had all the weekends [with good weather], at least the supervised bathing areas, we would certainly drastically reduce the number of accidents," said José Archer, on the sidelines of the presentation of the beaches, marinas and boats with Blue Flag this year, a ceremony that took place in Oeiras, in the district of Lisbon.

Questioned by journalists about whether the officially defined bathing season (from May 1 to October 30) should be extended, the official said that "ideally" this would be a solution, pointing out, however, two problems.

On the one hand, he recalled, there is "difficulty with manpower", referring to the lack of lifeguards.

"In some regions of the country it is very difficult, even within the bathing season, to have the offer of lifeguards qualified for this position," he said.

Outside the bathing season, he added, "if not even the beach support structures are in place, it is very difficult to require any municipality to provide the beach with these conditions", although in some areas of the country, namely in the Algarve, there is surveillance on the beaches on weekends with more affluence, such as Easter.

The official also recalled that the beaches with blue flag "must have surveillance" and that the criteria nowadays "are very strict", which allows in terms of results "to have practically zero fatal accidents throughout the bathing season", although there are "obviously rescues".

Regarding the number of accidents in unsupervised areas outside the bathing season, José Archer classified the situation as "worrying" and noted that "it has not decreased".

"Accidents have happened and continue to happen year after year. It is the result of carelessness, often people's behavior or recklessness, and the sea has days when it is in fact very dangerous. Therefore, it is in this aspect that we have to continue this process of education, of raising awareness among people that safety at sea begins with an attitude of each one of us," he defended.

In April, the president of the Portuguese Federation of Lifeguards (FEPONS), Alexandre Tadeia, defended that the bathing season "cannot be restricted only to summer" and advocated an increase in education for aquatic safety.

"The bathing season cannot be restricted only to summer, it has to be much more dynamic just like the fire season. It has to be all year round because we use the beaches all year round," said the official in statements to Lusa.

The bathing season of each year is defined by ordinance, published in the Diário da República, which identifies the bathing waters and the definition of the respective season, considering that, until then, at a national level, it runs from May 1 to October 30.

Between these dates, the municipal councils determine when the bathing season starts and ends in their territory, some choosing to start earlier and end later.

Some beaches in the country already carry out surveillance with vehicles all year round, such as Nazaré, Póvoa de Varzim and Fonte da Telha, while others anticipate surveillance, such as some beaches in the Algarve.

This year, the ordinance defining the 2024 bathing season has not yet been issued.

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