The deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Group (CC) and president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Oswaldo Betancort, defended this Wednesday during the plenary session held by the Parliament of the Canary Islands the "consideration of the Canarian camel as a productive livestock species" by the autonomous government.
With the adoption of this measure, he explained, “Canarian camel breeders will be able to access the same subsidies and aid typified for all productive livestock species, which will undoubtedly favor the conservation of this native breed of our Archipelago classified as in danger of extinction.”
In his speech, Betancort alluded to “historical and cultural reasons” to encourage “that the necessary efforts continue to be made to not lose this species,” and as an example he cited the approval in 2015 of the breeding program and the genealogical book destined for its conservation proposed by the Association of Canarian Camel Breeders, made up of camel breeders from Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
“Livelihood of many families”
In this context, he highlighted “the strong link that the Canarian camel has with agriculture and the landscape of the islands, as happens for example with that of La Geria”; and he stressed that the species has acquired “other values that justify its conservation by representing the means of sustenance for many families of breeders and workers in charge of the camel rides offered to tourists in the Fire Mountains of the Timanfaya National Park.”
An activity -he continued- “not without attacks in recent times, perhaps due to the ignorance that exists about the reality of this animal outside our Archipelago, since it is not in vain that this reconversion of its work towards tourism is what has largely allowed the conservation of the species and that the Vallito de Uga, in Yaiza, concentrates the most important camel herd in Europe in terms of the number of specimens, breeders and exporters.”
For all these reasons, to which he also added “the productive potential of camelids and the beneficial properties of camel milk,” Oswaldo Betancort considered “more than justified that the Canarian camel be considered as a productive livestock species and thus be able to access the subsidies and aid provided for these species, which would favor the conservation of this native breed in danger of extinction.”
