"The important thing is not whether we are going to slaughter goats, but whether Famara can be restored with goats or not." This is how the Deputy Minister for the Fight against Climate Change and Ecological Transition of the Government of the Canary Islands, Miguel Ángel Pérez, has spoken, who considers "unfair" the controversy that has been generated on the island, after the presentation of the project for the restoration of habitats in the summits of Famara, which has the collaboration of the Ministry of Defense.
And, as he explained, there are "100 endemic species that only occur in Famara" in this space, which "are not found anywhere else on the planet" and which make it a "privileged" place. "Therefore, if we simplify the Famara project to whether we are going to slaughter some goats or not, I think it is tremendously unfair, because it is putting 47 goats on the same scale with the loss of more than 100 species that have no voice to defend themselves, which are the natural and endemic species that are there," he said.
"No one is going to lecture me on what is best for biodiversity and what we as the Government of the Canary Islands have to protect," continued the Deputy Minister of the regional Executive, who believes that "we have to be aware that we are gambling with the biodiversity of the future of the Canary Islands" and that "actions like these do is generate discussions that are not for the benefit of our own biodiversity." "And the Government of the Canary Islands will certainly not be there, with all due respect to the people who want to protect the lives of animals. I also have animals, I have two dogs in my house and I love them madly, but they do not harm biodiversity, they do not eat endemic species," added Pérez, who believes that the goats "should never have arrived in Famara freely."
"No one's life will be put in danger to collect a goat"
In any case, the Deputy Minister for the Fight against Climate Change and Ecological Transition of the Government of the Canary Islands has stated that shooting these animals will be the "last option." And, first of all, he assured that what will be done "is to identify whether they have an owner or not."
"The second thing is to try to catch them in the space where they are without doing any harm to the animal," added Miguel Ángel Pérez, who, however, warned that "no one's life will be put in danger to collect the goat in a non-aggressive way." "And in the event that it is impossible to remove them by any means that is safe for the people who access the cliffs," it will be when "shooting" is chosen, he detailed.
However, if they were captured, he also pointed out that, after putting them "in quarantine" because "for reasons of hygiene and public health they cannot be mixed with the goats of others," they will most likely end up being sacrificed. "In 90% of cases they are always sacrificed because they have no livestock or food resources. You cannot eat a feral goat," said Pérez. "It's just that nobody wants them, because they don't know where they come from. And no matter how much quarantine they have, people want to preserve the genetic quality of their goats to make the best milk, the best cheese or to give the best meat. A goat that nobody knows where it comes from, no farmer wants it," he added.
"In any case, we are not going to act on the issue of goats yet, it is not imminent," the Deputy Minister affirmed, insisting that when the time comes, "the least burdensome means" for the goats will be used. "It's always like that, but obviously don't ask me to use a helicopter to get the goats out of there," he pointed out.
He also insisted that "risking your life to look for a goat on the cliffs of Famara" seems like an "irresponsibility" to him. "If they want to do it, let them sign a document stating that they exonerate the public administration from any type of responsibility with respect to getting in there," he added, addressing the critical voices. However, he made a call for "everyone's responsibility" to protect endemic biodiversity.
In addition, in the case of administrations, he pointed out their "obligation" to do so by law, warning that if it is not done in Famara, they could even be sanctioned. "Because if we do not protect it, as they are community habitats, the EU can open sanctions against the Government of Spain, and we can open sanctions against the town councils and the Cabildo for ignoring their obligations of responsibility with respect to the protection of biodiversity," he assures.
For now, with respect to the initiative in Famara, the first step and the one that is already being worked on is "with the experimental projects." "We are collecting seeds and working in the nursery that the Cabildo has, making seedbeds of more than 40 or 50 species of plants from the area. We are going to proceed with the planting in the experimental gardens, which have an adaptation process and then will be transferred to the farm of the air surveillance squadron to generate a rich and powerful ecosystem of new plants from there, to generate more seeds," explained Miguel Ángel Pérez, who pointed out that when there is "enough genetic material" it will be when "phase two, which is the restoration in Famara" will proceed and that it will be there when the matter of the goats is intervened.
