The collective Lanzarote has a limit denounces that while Oswaldo Betancort "reaffirms his commitment to sustainable tourism" and "environmental preservation" is about to produce "another ecological attack" on the island.
This environmental movement, which emerged before the mobilizations of last April 20, points out that the race 4Stage Mountain Bike Race Lanzarote, organized by Club La Santa, will concentrate cyclists from the island and from outside it during four stages through the natural park and special conservation area of birds of Famara.
"A bike race, which is part of a sports and nature tourism strategy, with which in principle no one, or almost no one, would have anything to object to, presents us with a reflection that we would like to share with the citizens," the collective began in the press release.
"How far? It is indisputable that the mass tourism model has penetrated multiple corners of our lives. It has colonized political and business power, stripping citizens of a voice in public decisions, it has penetrated the towns appropriating homes, hotels have taken over the coasts and beaches, they occupy health services and hundreds of rental cars and platoons of cyclists invade our roads daily," he continued.
"And we endure, and we endure. But it seems that it is never enough, this model always wants more, it always needs more. And then, to satisfy the hunger of a model that seeks to offer everything, it also appropriates natural spaces," he continued.
For Lanzarote has a limit "this race will take place in the middle of the nesting season of steppe birds", of species such as the Houbara Bustard, the Cream-colored Courser or the Stone-curlew, all of them included in Annex IV (Species that will be subject to special conservation measures regarding their habitat, in order to ensure their survival and reproduction in their area of distribution) of Law 42/2007, of December 13, on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
In this same sense, they have reminded the political class "that it is the responsibility of the competent administrations to take the necessary conservation measures to avoid deterioration, pollution and alterations that affect these species."
Thus, they have criticized that "far from this responsibility is the license that gives the green light to this event. Unfortunately, it is not only this particular event, the problem is general, because more and more of us inhabit this land, because both residents and tourists, we look for unique, spectacular locations, away from the massification, the perfect photo... and we do not realize that we make life impossible for some very discreet beings, who in the case of the steppe birds lay their eggs on the ground, very well camouflaged, difficult to see and easy to step on them."
In this sense, they have highlighted that "the environmental problem of this type of events in the natural environment is not only the participants and their mountain bikes, but also the spectators who, with their cars, their noise, their waste, invade areas outside the tracks." Thus, they have added that "the birds do not know about tracks, or Protected Areas, they follow their natural cycle, in their natural space, the one that has not yet been destroyed by the hand of man, but we are in it."
In addition, the environmental group has highlighted that "it goes without saying that if the event is a success it will be repeated every year, with its call effect, more companies bringing more people (no examples are needed but in case it does not sound familiar, we have Iron Man, Volcano Triathlon, Vuelta Ciclista Lanzarote and many more), more and more people, destroying our land, ending our nature."
"And this destruction, at what price? If we continue like this, what are we going to leave? What spaces do we leave to nature? At what price do we sell what we have left? Why do we continue to think we have the right to destroy natural life, for our entertainment, for our benefit, or worse, for the benefit of a few at the cost of irreparable loss?", the statement concluded.
