Puertos Canarios has launched the necessary work to opt, for the first time, for six Blue Flags in port facilities under autonomous public management. The forecast is to culminate the process and achieve the concession of the distinctive in the spring of this year.
In this first phase, the candidacies of the ports of Agaete (Gran Canaria), Garachico (Tenerife), Caleta del Sebo (La Graciosa), Gran Tarajal (Fuerteventura), Órzola and Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) have been made official. This is a milestone for the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands: it is the first time that ports of general interest, of integral public management, in all of Spain, aspire to this seal of world-renowned quality.
The initiative is part of the Strategic Plan promoted by the Management Directorate to convert the autonomous ports into Eco-ports (2024-2027), with the aim of optimizing their operation, sustainability, and social image.
Puertos Canarios manages half a hundred port infrastructures, among which are 17 ports of general interest, 18 port facilities, shelters and breakwaters, and 12 marinas operated under concession.
The Bandera Azul is an international award granted by the Fundación de Educación Ambiental (FEE) and managed in Spain by ADEAC (Asociación de Educación Ambiental y del Consumidor). It is granted for a single season and is maintained only while the required conditions are met, with audits at least once a year and ratification by an international jury.
To advance towards obtaining the six flags, the technical teams are working on the adaptation of spaces, the improvement of facilities and the implementation of new services, following the program's criteria, which are grouped into three areas: environmental information and education; environmental management; and safety and services.
In the section on environmental information and education, informative panels are being installed in the candidate ports with content on coastal ecosystems, marine protected areas, and a code of conduct for navigation in sensitive environments. In addition, the carrying out of, at least, three environmental education activities per year is planned.
In environmental management, Puertos Canarios has drafted an environmental policy and an Environmental Action Plan that reinforce the cleanliness of the facilities, correct waste management and selective collection (packaging, paper, glass, among others), as well as the management of hazardous waste and wastewater from vessels. Candidate ports must also have public restrooms.
In terms of security and services, the aspiring enclaves must have first aid, rescue, and firefighting equipment. Likewise, work is being done to ensure that the general facilities of the port are accessible for people with disabilities, reinforcing user attention and the quality of the service.
Puertos Canarios will designate a responsible person in each port to coordinate the relationship with the Blue Flag Program and ensure compliance with the criteria throughout the season. The obtaining of these six flags will represent a step forward in the positioning of the autonomous ports as more sustainable, safe, and citizen-oriented spaces.
Puertos Canarios is a public business entity attached to the Consejería de Obras Públicas, Vivienda y Movilidad of the Gobierno de Canarias; which operates under the name Ecopuertos Autonómicos de Canarias.
