The Cabildo of Lanzarote has processed a total of 73 complaints for environmental infractions during the first four months of 2024, instructed by the Environment Service, dependent on the Area directed by Samuel Martín, while in 2023 there were 175.
“We are improving the efficiency of the Environment Department, which means that the number of complaints being processed has increased compared to last year. We are thus fulfilling our commitment to regulate and sanction non-compliance during visits to our natural spaces,” says the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort.
For his part, the Minister of the Environment of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Samuel Martín, wanted to highlight “the enormous effort being made by the Environment workers of the Cabildo, who, in addition to ensuring that our environment is respected, process complaints that are the responsibility of other administrations and are responsible for managing applications for the development of different activities in protected areas.”
According to data extracted from the Area, the highest percentage of sanctions managed this year, a total of 29, focus on illegal constructions, for not adjusting the works to the urban planning license, extensions of buildings, tool rooms or unauthorized earth movements.
Also significant are the 26 complaints processed by the Environmental agents in these first four months, for parking in Natural Park areas or for transiting outside the trails of the Protected Natural Spaces.
Only in the Las Grietas area, between the municipalities of Tías and San Bartolomé, 13 complaints have been filed for parking vehicles on the sides of the road in the Protected Landscape of La Geria area. There are also complaints for transiting outside the trails in the Charco de Los Clicos or for parking vehicles in the Los Volcanes Natural Park and in Los Ajaches.
The Service coordinated by Samuel Martín, attached to the Department of Environment, Biosphere Reserve and Climate Change, processes all the files, sanctions environmental infractions, and opens proceedings and sends to the rest of the administrations those that have to do with illegal constructions, which are sent to the Canary Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment, APMUN, or to the Vice-Ministry of Fisheries when it comes to fishing or shellfish harvesting without a license, or to the Hunting Department when the island regulations in that matter are not complied with.
