The Council of Tenerife has launched an information and control campaign in the environment and waters of the Los Gigantes Cliffs, on the coast of the Teno Rural Park, to raise awareness of the fragility of the biodiversity of these protected areas and show that human leisure activities can affect some endangered species that are exclusive to the environment, such as the osprey (guincho), the giant lizard of Tenerife and unique plants, such as the Guergue immortelle.
«Various species of birds, among others the guincho or osprey, nest and breed in this area, between the months of February and August. For this reason, it is necessary to take extreme care, not to approach the coast less than 250 meters, except in Playa de Masca or Punta de Teno, and avoid noise and inconvenience that put the few existing clutches at risk», said the Minister of Management of the Natural Environment, Isabel García.
In the campaign, carried out through the Teno Rural Park management office, dependent on the Natural Environment and Security Management area, a request is made for do not anchor outside the places already indicated, do not make loud noises, avoid using loudspeakers and reduce engine noise as much as possible, only use the park’s network of trails and do not leave them, and, of course, do not feed the animals in any way wildlife or leave food debris or garbage. The use of drones is prohibited throughout the aforementioned protected area.
In Holy Weeka period in which holidays coincide with an improvement in weather and sea conditions, there is usually a significant increase in visits to these areas and this introduces an added risk factor, for which Environment agents carried out surveillance and environmental awareness work.
This information and awareness campaign is produced thanks to the collaboration and joint work of a wide range of institutions, coordinated from the management office of the Teno Rural Park, and supported by the Biodiversity Unit; the Environmental Education Unit, of the Area of Sustainable Development and Fight against Climate change, the Office for Environmental Participation and Volunteering, Tenerife Tourism, all of them from the Cabildo, in addition to the town councils of Buenavista del Norte and Santiago del Teide; the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the Canary Islands Government, the Coastal Action Group, the marinas in the southwest of Tenerife, and conservation entities, such as the Ornithology and Natural History Group of the Canary Islands, among others. Other entities, companies and people who wish to collaborate can do so by contacting the campaign coordinators via email tenoparque@tenerife.es.
