The measures were adopted during the afternoon of last Tuesday, when they detected “massive spots of supposed microalgae at different points along the coast” in the Ariquero municipality. Shortly after, the government of Granada issued an edict prohibiting bathing on its coastline due to the advance of microalgae stains from the neighboring municipality.
The mayoress of Arico, Olivia Delgado, pointed out yesterday that the recommendation not to bathe on the beaches of the municipality is “a preventive measure” whose objective is to guarantee the safety of visitors and residents. The local authority asked the population to refrain from bathing “in coastal areas where the presence of microalgae is observed.”
Through a statement made public yesterday, Delgado explained that “the municipal security services have been closely monitoring the situation and that, in accordance with their commitment to prevention for the best enjoyment of our beaches, it has been decided to advise against bathing in the affected areas until the concentration levels of microalgae disappear.
Olivia Delgado explained that “samples have been taken on various beaches in the municipality for analysis in order to confirm whether it is microalgae and rule out possible conditions for people and the environment.” The Ariquera councilor stressed that “The Consistory will continue to monitor the situation and will update the information on the conditions of our coastline.”
During today’s session, the results of the water analyzes corresponding to the samples collected the day before yesterday at points on the Granadilla de Abona coastline are awaited (a service carried out by the Consistory itself independently from the one carried out by the Canary Islands Health Service of the Government of the Canary Islands) and Arico. Although the presence of microalgae banks is not exclusive to this area of the Island, the authorities of both municipalities acted by applying preventive measures.
Yesterday, the beaches of El Médano in Granada registered a notable influx of users, although they remained on the sand, respecting the presence of the red flag and the signage that informs of the prohibition of bathing in the area, although there were those who chose to get their feet wet on the shore.
