The fishermen of Arico they do not want the offshore wind farm planned by the Port Authority to be installed off the coast of Tajao and Las Maretas because both the work, the space it would occupy and the activity of the complex would drastically reduce the area’s fishing ground. An opposition that the municipal government supports and that Puertos de Tenerife and the promoter company met yesterday in a meeting promoted by the City Council and held in the Brotherhood of San Miguel de Tajao. The objective was to know the project details and dialogue to avoid any impact on the landscape, the environment and the economy of the neighbourhoods.
The manager of the Brotherhood, Francisco Javier García, emphasizes that are not against renewable energy, «but yes of this type of projects because they affect fishing». He clearly states that they will “always” refuse this project “because it affects the coastline and the fishing platform.” He is emphatic in stating that “from the area, either we remove ourselves or they.” If the project materializes offshore wind farm“we fishermen will have to go” due to the risk that the noise and decibels will scare away the fish.
This rejection is ratified by Sebastián Martín. The mayor also agrees in affirming that Arico is in favor of renewable energies, «but it must be done with planning and co-organization». He emphasizes that the dialogue is open with the Port Authority, “after learning of the existence of this project through the media.” Martín defends that “this type of project must maintain environmental and landscape respect and not affect the daily life of our neighborhoods, unlike the wind farms declared of general interest by the Government of the Canary Islands.”
The Councilor for the Environment, Andrés Martínez, warns of a foreseeable impact “since the fishermen tell us that in the area planned for the offshore wind farm there is quite a lot of sebadal and marine fauna.” In any case, “we will act in defense of the municipality of Arico.”
An important part of the population of Las Maretas and Tajao lives from fishing “and has bars and restaurants in Tajao, which depend on the fish they catch in the area”. The Councilor for Citizen Participation and the Primary Sector, Davinia García, puts on the table that “other brotherhoods on the Island come to fish on our coasts, so we must bear in mind that this project will affect them.”
The meeting was attended by the mayor of Arico, Sebastián Martín; councilors Andrés Martínez and Davinia García; the director of the Port Authority, Javier Mora Quintero, representatives of the Provincial Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds and the promoters, in addition to the fishermen and directors of the Tajao Guild.
BlueFloat will answer the doubts of the Tajao fishermen
BlueFloat, a company that promotes a 50-megawatt offshore wind farm in the waters of the Port of Granadilla, will hold regular meetings with the fishermen of Tajao “to learn about and resolve their concerns.” This was communicated by their representatives at the meeting held yesterday. The same in which the Port Authority made it clear that “the procedure for the possible installation of the wind farm is still in its first phase, in which everything remains to be developed, from the drafting of the basic project to the processing of the environmental impact”.
This last procedure “will be the one that guarantees” that fishermen, organizations or entities that consider themselves affected “present their allegations or objections to the project, with which their voice will be heard.” The impact statement will determine, “based on the allegations presented, if the project can be carried out as it is planned, if it will require compensatory or corrective measures or if, on the contrary, it cannot be carried out.”
Among the doubts raised, the fishermen expressed their concern about the noise that the wind turbines would produce. Representatives from Steyco, a technical consultancy that supports the project, assured that, although it depends on the type of rotor and brand, the checks indicate that it will not exceed the maximum decibels allowed at the point closest to the coast, 500 meters away. Regarding the effect on the sebadales, it was said that the park is planned in an area that would not affect said ecosystem.
