The Cabildo of Lanzarote has informed the authorities of the presence, last weekend, of eight boats anchored in Alegranza, a space that is part of the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park and the La Graciosa Marine Reserve.
For four days, according to WWF/Adena volunteers participating in a conservation program, up to 17 people have camped in Alegranza, carrying out illegal activities in the area, such as fishing and shellfish harvesting. On Sunday, the Environment guards of the First Corporation, accompanied by Seprona agents, personally verified the presence of the boats and people in the area, who were identified and forced to leave the islet, after which the corresponding complaints were filed for illegal camping, -this use is expressly prohibited by the Rector Plan for Use and Management (PROUG) of the Chinijo Archipelago, and for anchoring-, an activity that requires a permit that the people located on the islet did not have.
In this sense, the Legal Services of the Corporation are studying the scope of the infractions committed, so that the punishment of the same is dissuasive of this behavior and exemplary.
According to environmental legislation, in Alegranza only activities related to research and protection of the space are allowed, and always with the knowledge of the Environment area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote. In no case can practices related to fishing be carried out.
On the other hand, the islet has been the usual scene of poaching of the Balearic Shearwater, a protected species that nests on the cliffs of the islet and whose chicks begin their first flights around October. It is the time chosen by poachers to kill the chicks.
Although this practice has been persecuted by law for years, experience shows that rigorous and exhaustive control of Alegranza is necessary on these dates, given the impunity with which these people defy the rules for the protection of species. It should also be remembered that the entire area delimited in the Natural Park has been declared a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA).
The councilor responsible for Sanctions in environmental matters of the Cabildo, Carlos Espino, explained that the delay in the intervention of the Environment guards responded to the need to guarantee the support of the Civil Guard. "Previous experience with this type of offenders shows that the real possibility of a physical confrontation cannot be ignored. Therefore, express instructions were given not to access Alegranza without the protection of members of the Armed Institute, whose collaboration we appreciate," he points out.
In this operation, which has ended with the complaint against 17 people, the collaboration of WWF/Adena volunteers has been fundamental, who raised the alarm about the presence of alleged poachers in Alegranza. According to Carlos Espino, "the Cabildo will maintain collaboration with this organization, whose volunteers the president wants to congratulate personally, once the campaign is over."
