Ilhabela discusses construction of resort on Serraria beach – 04/02/2024 – Environment

One of the tourist references on the north coast of São Paulo, Ilhabela could gain a resort on Serraria beach, today inhabited by fishermen and preserved from real estate advances. The intention, expressed by Mayor Antônio Colucci (PL), provoked controversy and led to the opening of an investigation by the MPF (Federal Public Ministry).

The idea began to take shape during a tourism fair held in the first half of March, in Lisbon. In Portugal, the mayor told event participants that he was negotiating with international hotel groups to make the venture viable.

Located in the eastern region of Ilhabela, between Ponta Grossa and Caveira beach, Serraria can only be accessed from the sea, leaving from Perequê beach, or by a trail from Castelhanos beach.

Treated as a “corner”, “paradisiacal” and “hidden” on tourism websites, the beach is 400 meters long, with calm sea and clean water, and is surrounded by Atlantic forest.

“For the Serraria beach community, it will be a great opportunity. And we will settle the residents”, said Toninho Colucci, as he is known, in an interview with the program “Bom Dia Prefeito”, on Ilhabela FM, last week.

Three months earlier, by decree, he had expropriated an area close to the beach at a cost of R$7 million for the municipality. At the time, nothing was mentioned about future commercial interests in the region.

Contacted this Monday (1st) by the reporter, the Municipality of Ilhabela mentioned, in a note, the “recent expropriation of 900 thousand square meters in the traditional community of Serraria” without linking the measure to the idea of ​​a resort on the site.

“The intention is to create an environmental reserve compensation area”, said the management in a note. “As well as guaranteeing the territory for members of the local traditional community who previously resided there through a lending contract with the former owner.”

Still according to the city hall, the resort, however, is not ruled out “in view of the possibility, if there is prior consultation with the community, without prejudice to studies also in the environmental field”.

“It is worth highlighting that this is only an intention and preliminary feasibility studies”, says the statement. “If there is real interest in implementation, Ilhabela City Hall, by virtue of legal provision, will observe all legal formalities, especially prior community consultation in public hearings, as well as the usual environmental licensing procedures.”

The idea of ​​building a resort on Serraria beach generated reactions in the Ilhabela City Council. “It is an absurd and megalomaniacal attitude from the mayor,” said councilor Diana Matarazzo (Podemos) in a session on March 26. “He expropriated the traditional community of Serraria, the cradle of caiçara culture in our city, to establish a resort that only exists in his head.”

The parliamentarian, who was Colucci’s party colleague, recently joined Podemos and intends to run for mayor against him, who will seek re-election with the PL.

At the same time, the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) opened a civil investigation to investigate the situation. Motivated by a representation signed by a group of residents, the investigation is in charge of prosecutor Walquiria Imamura Picoli, who works at the MPF headquarters in neighboring Caraguatatuba (SP).

“The MPF requires Colucci to explain whether the decree [de desapropriação] has any connection with the project [do resort]”, states the organization’s communications department. “Colucci will also have to clarify what measures were adopted so that the local caiçara community could be heard about both the decree and the hotel development.”

Ilhabela City Hall, in turn, says that the questions from the Federal Public Ministry are dated March 20th and that “all required information was sent to the body on March 26th”.

An online petition against the project has already gathered almost 2,000 supporters. “The Sawmill is Caiçara territory”, says the text of the petition.

“[O resort] would expel caiçara from the beach, making them low-cost employees in manual labor”, the petition also criticizes.

In the space reserved for comments on the petition, there is already a clash of convictions. “I’m perplexed by this attitude from Ilhabela’s president”, says internet user Ivan Bueno. “It’s absurd to be against it because it will attract high-end tourists and generate jobs”, argues José Antonio Pires.