CSIC researcher Alberto Ucero, representing the Canary Islands Houbara Bustard Research Group of the National Museum of Natural Sciences, presented the allegations to the draft of the Plan for the Management of Natural Resources of the Chinijo Archipelago, whose citizen participation process ended on October 4, in relation to the threats that the Canary Islands Houbara Bustard may suffer.
From the document of more than 25 pages, where Ucero presents a battery of allegations, highlights "the report made by the CSIC research group on the effects on the habitat of the houbara due to the extraction of sand near Muñique", an area where they say is "one of its most stable cores with the largest number of specimens." This information is based on the information obtained "after the census conducted in 2018 and the more than 40 specimens marked with emitters, with almost the entire area of action of the PORN being the habitat of the Canary houbara bustard."
Therefore, in this document the research group "discourages the extraction of aggregates in the area", and urges the authorities "to adopt the measures it deems appropriate to ensure adequate conservation of this protected area, designated as a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA)."
Another of the proposals to the PORN that Ucero has made is "the burial of the electrical and telephone lines that are within the limits of action of the PORN". The researcher assures that "there are several scientific studies that show that power lines cause the death of thousands of birds of different species each year in the Canary Islands."
Regarding the tourist pressure and the increase in the number of vehicles, Ucero points out that in 2018 "more than 5,300,000 tourists visited Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, which represents an increase of 50% in the last six years, while La Graciosa receives 502,344 tourists per year on an island of just 29 km2." Associated with the tourism that visits the Natural Park, he argues that there is "the construction of apartments and villas", as well as the demand for rental cars.
This problem is aggravated in La Graciosa, where the vehicle fleet has increased to 300 vehicles. Among the proposals, Ucero proposes "to prevent speculation in the urban centers of Caleta de Famara, Caleta de Sebo and Pedro Barba, as well as to limit the number of visitors to La Graciosa and the number of cars that can circulate."
In relation to road infrastructures, the researcher mentions a scientific study that estimates that in Lanzarote "more than 7,000 birds are run over each year", this being "one of the most important threats to the conservation of the Canary houbara bustard". One of the measures proposed by the researcher to mitigate this problem is "the implementation of corrective measures in sections of roads with a higher probability of being run over."
Finally, the researcher states that the uncontrolled increase in the number of cats is "a threat to the population of bird species in the Canary Islands". In addition, he adds that this may be "the greatest threat in La Graciosa", so he affirms that "a rigorous control of cat populations must be carried out, as well as an intensive campaign to extract feral specimens from the natural environment and raise awareness among citizens about the problems generated by unsupervised cats, prohibiting the entry of new cats on the island of La Graciosa."
