ACN
Shipping companies operating in the port of Playa Blanca, in the Lanzarote municipality of Yaiza, have decided to suspend their activity today. Fred.Olsen and Naviera Armas, which daily connects the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, have canceled the departures scheduled for today, Wednesday. Only the morning connection was made.
According to the shipping companies' delegates to the Yaiza City Council, the adverse sea conditions and the insecurity of the current inner dock of the port of Playa Blanca that prevent maneuvers have motivated the captains of these ferries to cancel the planned services.
The mayor of Yaiza, José Francisco Reyes, who has been directly monitoring the situation in the face of the pre-alert activated in the Canary Islands due to the storm, reiterated today "the need to execute the new dike in Playa Blanca as soon as possible to offer security and protection to the ships that operate in the south of the Island".
"Unsafe" Port
Reyes maintains that, at the earliest, the Government of the Canary Islands will tender the works throughout 2008, according to the forecasts of the regional budgets. "While in other islands they already have safe ports or in
progress - says the mayor - here in Playa Blanca and in Lanzarote investments in port infrastructure are still anchored".
On the other hand, within the measures adopted due to the storm, the Security and Civil Protection area of Yaiza cordoned off a section of the Playa Blanca promenade and prevents its transit due to the high waves that arrive in this town in the south of Lanzarote.