Litter on the Fishermen’s Trail: From Concern to Problem

Celebrated worldwide for the stunning landscapes it crosses, the Fishermen’s Trail remains a timeless destination, attracting more and more hikers each year. However, this growing number of users — along with an apparent shift in their profile — has led to a worsening issue: there is more litter on the Fishermen’s Trail. 

This is not a problem exclusive to Rota Vicentina’s trails, but the presence of litter — particularly toilet paper and synthetic wipes — has become increasingly noticeable on the Fishermen’s Trail. 

Due to its “photogenic and Instagrammable” nature, the Fishermen’s Trail has become a phenomenon, especially among those “looking to enjoy its beauty, many of whom are hiking for the first time,” says the President of the Rota Vicentina Association. 

Litter has always been a concern for Rota Vicentina. The 2023 Ecological Monitoring Study detected a low average of two pieces of litter per trail. At that time, “we didn’t see it as a real problem,” says Marta Cabral. So, what has changed so quickly? And why? 

According to the President of the Rota Vicentina Association, the change is not just in the number of hikers, but also in their profile: “For a long time, the typical Rota Vicentina user was an experienced hiker, with a strong environmental awareness.” That now seems to be changing. 

Famous as it is, the Fishermen’s Trail is reaching many people “sometimes without the information and awareness that should be inherent to the experience. There’s a lack of sensitivity to these issues, and it’s very difficult to communicate because, often, visitors don’t come through our information channels,” she adds. 

The challenge, in this context, “is that we all need to grow together as a society. Each person thinks their waste is ‘just one piece,’ and it’s hard to grasp the full scale and global impact of our behaviour,” she says. 

Committed to doing everything within its power to minimise this issue, Rota Vicentina has, since its inception, engaged in targeted promotional efforts paired with awareness-raising across the entire trail network. 

It also promotes volunteer walks for litter collection, involving citizens and volunteers in a process that is both corrective and educational. 

However, other solutions are being considered. Trail signage could be significantly improved, says Marta Cabral, but that would require public entities to take on maintenance responsibilities. Currently, she notes, “maintaining the existing signage already represents a substantial burden for the Association.” 

The installation of toilets along the trails is often proposed as a solution, but their presence would require an effective maintenance and cleaning service that, for now, “the territory cannot ensure,” she explains. 

“We know we can’t control everything that happens on the trails, and we rely on initiatives, individuals, and organisations to help us manage this situation — it’s everyone’s responsibility, just as these paths belong to everyone.” 

She concludes: “We are learning — as hosts, as residents, as a working community — how to respond to these challenges, without losing hope in tourism as a space for learning, exchange, and hospitality.” 

A marine biologist by training and nature guide by choice, Larissa Ohl, of Hike in Alentejo — a Rota Vicentina member company — has been walking the trails she knows intimately since 2019. 

The increasing presence of litter on the Fishermen’s Trail is, for her, undeniable: “It wasn’t this bad before. People had a certain ecological awareness and would take their litter with them. Sadly, that’s no longer the case, especially with unguided groups who, in my opinion, often don’t even realise they’re inside a Natural Park.” 

Larissa believes stronger signage around the Park’s perimeter could help influence hikers’ behaviour regarding environmental care — although she acknowledges this is not an issue exclusive to the Fishermen’s Trail. 

“It’s a global problem. Many hikers I talk to say it’s the same in their own countries, though with one difference: many companies provide a small bag for people to put their used toilet paper in,” she notes. 

Toilet paper is the biggest issue. “Other types of waste are rare. People eat snacks or have picnics, but they usually take that waste with them. What they don’t realise is the impact toilet paper causes — they think it’s just one piece that will disappear.” 

As a nature guide, Larissa starts her hikes by explaining to visitors the specific characteristics and sensitivities of the area they’re exploring — a care that, she says, not all tour operators take. 

“Many companies see this as a way to make quick money. They bring in vans full of people, often violating the rule that prohibits groups larger than 15. The Rota Vicentina brand sells well.” 

There is, therefore, much awareness-raising to be done — particularly among tour operators — but also in terms of increasing monitoring and protecting the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park (PNSACV), under the responsibility of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), which, according to Larissa, should be more engaged with the issues affecting the park. 

She calls for “mobilisation, a joint effort” from all the entities responsible for the Natural Park to find solutions to these identified problems.