The Cabildo of Lanzarote has reaffirmed its opposition to new aquaculture facilities off the coast of the island, following the publication in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands of an authorization from the General Directorate of Fisheries of the regional government in the area known as Lanzarote Aquaculture Interest Zone 2 (ZIA LZ 2).
This authorization, which will be challenged by the entity, has been resolved in favor of the company that has been operating the facility located in the waters of Playa Quemada until now, since said operation is obliged to cease due to the expiration of its term.
As explained by the president of the Cabildo, María Dolores Corujo, the body she represents "demands its powers" to control aquaculture activity in the territory: "Just as we defended ourselves when they wanted to privatize the wind, we are not going to allow them to expropriate the sea from us."
The PROAC will affect the coasts of Lanzarote
As Corujo has pointed out, the executive already warned that they would adopt a common strategy with the affected municipalities and social and economic agents against the Regional Aquaculture Management Plan of the Canary Islands (PROAC).
The PROAC was approved by the Government of the Canary Islands in 2018, with the approval of the Cabildo of Lanzarote "then", the president has pointed out, indicating that now they do not oppose this economic activity "systematically", since they accept it when the facilities are executed on land.
However, they propose "a common legal defense" against the approach that was made at the time in that document, "because it would affect the coasts of Arrecife, Playa Honda and Tías".
"The competence belongs to the Cabildo"
The PROAC establishes an aquaculture interest zone located between La Bufona (Arrecife) and Punta el Barranquillo (San Bartolomé-Tías), marking them as points of possible interest for the practice of this fishing activity, something that the Cabildo, the municipalities, the tourism business association and the fishermen's associations reject.
Corujo recalls that, as a result of decisions that were adopted in the past term "absolutely criticizable", now they will have to find ways to end "what was done wrong".
Therefore, as the BOC establishes that the same company that carried out the activity in Playa Quemada (Yaiza) intends to receive a concession to continue operating in other areas of the Lanzarote coast, the corporation will draft a "requirement with the legal arguments that reject the presence of new marine cages on our coasts", she has advanced.
"The competence is ours", concluded the head of the Island Council.