Canary Islands demands a permanent oceanographic vessel to strengthen research and scientific sovereignty

Councilor Migdalia Machín denounces the lack of support from the State, which puts strategic projects and marine science training on the islands at risk.

February 11 2025 (20:30 WET)
Updated in February 11 2025 (20:30 WET)
Migdalia Machín
Migdalia Machín

The Councilor for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Migdalia Machín, has insisted in Parliament on the need for the Canary Islands to have an oceanographic vessel for permanent use. The lack of this infrastructure affects the progress of strategic research and limits academic training in marine sciences.

“Having an oceanographic vessel is not only a technical issue, but a necessity to guarantee our scientific sovereignty. The Canary Islands must be able to manage their marine resources autonomously and continue to lead research in this area,” said the councilor.

Machín recalled that the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), which houses the first Faculty of Marine Sciences in Spain, still does not have guaranteed access to ship time, which has forced it to resort to private vessels with limited capabilities. “While the public university has to overcome obstacles to train its students, agreements are signed with private companies for the use of this resource. It is an unacceptable situation,” she denounced.

The councilor also pointed out that the lack of response from the State compromises essential scientific projects such as the agreement between AEMET, IEO, ULPGC and PLOCAN, which is fundamental in monitoring climate change. “The delay in the allocation of ship time puts at risk the most important series of oceanographic data in Spain and weakens the presence of the Canary Islands in international research networks,” she warned.

In this sense, the councilor pointed out that “we have been waiting two years for the renewal of the agreement by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, an essential issue for the students' internships and for the realization of the different research projects”, and added that “what is being requested by the scientific community is to have the ship twice a year for four days”.

For Machín it is incomprehensible “that the Spanish Institute of Oceanography skips a ministerial order and denies ship hours to the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”.

For this reason, she has demanded a firm commitment from the State to provide the archipelago with an oceanographic vessel that guarantees the continuity of research and training in marine sciences. “The Canary Islands cannot afford setbacks in this area. It is essential to have this infrastructure to address the challenges of climate change and the uniqueness of our marine ecosystems,” she concluded.

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