The Cabildo of Lanzarote has been forced to maintain the provisional closure of hunting activity in the municipality of Haría after the appearance of a new case of poisoning in the northern part of the island was confirmed during the day this Wednesday.
The Minister of the Environment, Samuel Martín, explained how in recent days the Ministry has intensified investigations into the findings of affected fauna and domestic animals, a situation that already led to the closure of hunting in Haría on August 8. As Martín has detailed, the Institution had considered lifting the suspension and allowing the recovery of hunting activity this Thursday, August 21. However, this Wednesday a new case under investigation has been notified, which requires extending the precautionary measure.
“These are not only poisonings that affect species related to hunting, but also fatal intoxications of domestic animals and a serious impact on the biodiversity of northern Lanzarote. Therefore, we are facing a problem that transcends the hunting field and is also a public health issue,” warned the Hunting Councilor.
For his part, the island's president, Oswaldo Betancort, underlined the Institution's determination in the fight against this illegal practice “because we are not going to allow the safety of our neighbors or the natural wealth of Lanzarote to be threatened by such harmful acts. We are going to continue putting all the technical and human resources at our disposal to eradicate the use of poison, protect our biodiversity and guarantee that hunting activity can be carried out safely and responsibly.”
Urgent Hunting Council and call for responsibility
The Cabildo of Lanzarote will urgently convene in the next few hours for this Friday, August 22, the holding of an extraordinary Island Hunting Council with the aim of assessing the situation, reinforcing prevention measures and analyzing the possibilities of recovery of the season once the current risks are ruled out.
The Island Corporation reiterates its call to the hunting community of Lanzarote and La Graciosa to act responsibly and maintain extreme vigilance in natural environments, especially in the towns of Máguez, Guinate, Gayo and Ye.
Once the safety of fauna, people and domestic animals is guaranteed, hunting activity will be resumed. The Cabildo is even studying the possibility of extending the hunting period for feather species to compensate for lost time.
Finally, the Institution appreciates the work that the Cabildo's Environment Agents have been carrying out in this operation, together with members of Seprona, the Civil Guard, agents of the canine unit of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and professionals from the Local Police of Haría.