At the behest of the governing group chaired by Óscar Noda, the Yaiza City Council approved this Monday in Plenary an Institutional Declaration in defense of Lanzarote's camel sector and its sustainable activity in the Timanfaya National Park.
Next, all political forces represented in the southern Corporation —UPY, CC, PP, YAS and PSOE— staged their unanimous support for the initiative in the Casa del Camello, together with the Asociación de Camelleros de Lanzarote (ACALAN), female and male livestock farmers of Uga, professionals linked to the sector and the Federación Insular de la PYME de Lanzarote (FELAPYME), which has also publicly expressed its defense against the accusations of alleged animal abuse.
Óscar Noda appealed to all administrations of Lanzarote to “record in the plenary sessions the insular unity in support of this productive and sustainable sector linked to tourism”. The mayor has already transferred the text of the Declaration to the island's town councils for their debate and approval, as well as to the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
In the name of the sector, the rancher Marcial Viñoly thanked the institutional support and vindicated the importance of the camel and the work of generations of ranching families from Uga. “The sector is alive, we continue working with enthusiasm and we are convinced that the activity of camel rides in Timanfaya will endure. It is not fair that entities that are unaware of the characteristics of the animal and the treatment we give it dare to speak of mistreatment,” he pointed out.
The Declaration highlights the historical, cultural, heritage and economic value of the camel sector, recalling that the camel has been an essential ally in agricultural tasks, grape harvesting, legume threshing and water transport, as well as materials such as stone, sand and cultivated soil, forming an essential part of Lanzarote's socioeconomic activity.
The text also warns that “the lack of control over content on social media allows the amplification of attacks on the camel sector, to the detriment of Lanzarote's tourist image and a productive activity” which, among other recognitions, received in 2013 the National Distinction from the Association of Municipalities with Territory in National Parks (AMUPARNA) and, in 2021, a municipal tribute on the occasion of the title of Historic City for Yaiza.
Likewise, the Declaration stresses that the possible loss of the camel figure would imply the disappearance of part of the island's traditional culture and of the customs developed by the sector throughout its history.
The Yaiza City Council reminds that, although the main value of the Timanfaya National Park is its landscape and ecological richness, the camel sector has contributed to its tourist exploitation in a respectful way. Furthermore, it highlights that the work of the camel driver goes beyond guiding the animals, since in the Vallito de Uga they are in charge of their care, feeding, saddling, and transfer to the resting place.
Until the 60s, Lanzarote's economy was sustained mainly by the primary sector —agriculture, fishing, and goat farming—. With the irruption of tourism as the main source of income, the Yaiza City Council began to regulate camel rides in Timanfaya. Currently, there are 290 authorized licenses.
