The Parliament of the Canary Islands has backed the Non-Legislative Proposal defended by the deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Parliamentary Group, Oswaldo Betancort (Coalición Canaria), to promote support measures for maritime inter-island transport of Canarian colombophilia and advance the modernization of the transport means used by the sector.
The initiative, approved by the Chamber, urges the Government of the Canary Islands to create a specific line of aid to cover inter-island maritime freight for homing pigeons intended for training, releases, and official competitions, as well as to negotiate with shipping companies operating in the Canary Islands formulas that allow for the reduction of the surcharges currently borne by clubs and federations.
During the defense of the proposal, Betancort recalled that colombophilia constitutes a unique activity closely linked to the reality of the archipelago and recognized by Law 4/2011 for the promotion of Canarian colombophilia and the protection of the homing pigeon.
“Guaranteeing the future of colombophilia involves correcting the surcharges imposed by the archipelagic reality. We are talking about a sport protected by law, with a deep cultural and social root in the Canary Islands, which needs the support of institutions to continue developing on equal terms,” he stated.
The nationalist deputy explained that transport constitutes one of the main challenges for the viability of this activity, as the organization of training, contests, and competitions depends directly on the transfer of pigeons between the different islands. According to data provided by the sector itself, the costs of maritime freight currently exceed 260,000 euros annually in the archipelago as a whole.
“When we talk about colombophilia, we are talking about an activity that cannot exist without mobility. Therefore, correcting the surcharges derived from insularity is not a secondary issue, but a necessary condition to guarantee its continuity,” he pointed out.
The approved proposal also includes that these aids can be requested by both the Canary Federation of Pigeon Racing and the island federations that assume transportation costs, establishing objective distribution criteria that take into account factors such as the number of licenses, existing clubs, double insularity, routes taken, and accredited costs.
Likewise, the initiative by Coalición Canaria also advocates for the implementation of a multi-year program for the renewal of the island pigeon racing transport fleet, aimed at financing the acquisition of adapted trucks managed by the island federations and made available to clubs, with the objective of improving animal welfare, biosecurity, and safety conditions during travel.
Historical demand from the sector
Oswaldo Betancort highlighted that this measure responds to a historical demand from the sector, as a significant part of the current fleet is obsolete and requires modernization that can hardly be borne solely by clubs and federations.
“Canarian pigeon racing has managed to stay alive generation after generation thanks to the commitment of thousands of fans. Now it is up to us, the institutions, to accompany that effort and create the necessary conditions for this tradition to continue growing and adapting to new times,” he stated.
The nationalist parliamentarian also recalled that regional legislation itself recognizes the obligation of public administrations to collaborate in the promotion and protection of this sport, especially considering the constraints arising from the territorial fragmentation of the archipelago.
In this regard, he positively valued that the approved initiative also proposes coordination between the Government of the Canary Islands and the island councils to complement financing, leverage the experiences already developed on some islands, and extend them to the entire Canary Islands territory.
Finally, Betancort thanked the Chamber for its support for a proposal that seeks to guarantee equal opportunities for pigeon racers from all islands and strengthen an activity that constitutes one of the most unique sporting expressions of the archipelago.
“Columbophilia is part of our collective heritage. Preserving it, strengthening it, and providing it with tools to face the future is also a way of protecting an important part of the identity of the Canary Islands”. “The greatness of this sport lies in the approval, by this Parliament, of a Law that was approved in 2011, because having this legal tool is a guarantee for the future of the sport,” he concluded.
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