The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Canary Islands Government has published this Monday a resolution, which sets new dates for the exams for the government of recreational boats for the year 2020 that were suspended after the declaration of the state of alarm. However, it has canceled the exams for obtaining the titles of Recreational Boat Skipper (PER) and Basic Navigation Skipper (PNB) in Lanzarote.
"It is a mistreatment of the smaller islands," considers the representative of the Lanzarote Nautical Academy and the Bitácora Nautical School of the island, Óscar Pinedo, who affirms that the decision of the regional Executive has generated a "discontent" and a "widespread discomfort" among those affected.
And it is that, in a resolution of November 18, the regional Executive set two calls for obtaining the titles of PER and PNB in Lanzarote, one on May 16 and the other on October 24. In addition, an exam was also established on the island to obtain the title of Yacht Skipper (PY) for October 3.
An "economic damage" and "an absurdity"
However, in the new resolution published this Monday, only one exam call is included in Lanzarote and only for obtaining the titles of Yacht Captain and Yacht Skipper, which will take place on November 21. "All the PER and PNB exams will be held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Tenerife, so all the people from the smaller islands will have to travel, which generates an economic damage," said Óscar Pinero.
"In addition, it is an absurdity, because here we have the School of Fisheries, the best Maritime Fisheries Institute in Spain, which is absolutely prepared to carry out the exam calls," considers the representative of the nautical schools of Lanzarote, who has criticized that there is also no exam in summer, since all have been set between October and November. "Because there are young people who study and live abroad during the school year and will not be able to be on those dates," said Pinedo.
Likewise, the representative of the nautical schools of Lanzarote has indicated that "before there was the possibility that if a person failed the exam, they could apply for another call on another island" and that "now it has also been eliminated."
For all this, Óscar Pinedo has stated that the nautical academies of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are already "in talks" to be able to request an extraordinary call for obtaining the titles of Recreational Boat Skipper (PER) and Basic Navigation Skipper (PNB) on the island.
And it is that in the nautical schools of Lanzarote, there is a high number studying to obtain these titles, in addition to the people who prepare "on their own". "And between the two islands there may be 70 or 80 people interested", concluded Pinedo.
