The president of the Port Authority of Tenerife, Pedro Suárez, has opted this Tuesday to resume the construction project of the port of Fonsalía, in Guía de Isora, and leave it “on track” in this mandate. In October 2021, the Parliament of the Canary Islands spoke out in favor of definitive abandonment of the construction of this new port, with the votes of CC, Sí Podemos and Nueva Canarias, the opposition of PP, ASG and Ciudadanos and the abstention of the PSOE.
The port was planned to be built on a strip of water surrounded by the only existing whale sanctuary in the European Union and third in the world, rich in species of cetaceans and other animals in the so-called Teno-Rasca strip, on the east coast of Tenerife. The project outlined a port-island type platform with five docking lines for large ships, a fishing dock, 200 dry dock spaces and 467 pontoon spaces in the sports area, within a coastal area of just over 222,000 square meters. . It would entail, as projected, an initial public investment of 200 million euros and the processing of which began 25 years ago.
However, the entire maritime area from Teno (north) to Rasca (south) is considered by the Habitats Directive of the European Union as a Special Conservation Area (ZEC) because it hosts species in a “critical” state, such as the bottlenose dolphin or the Stupid turtle. In January 2021, the World Cetacean Alliance, based in the United Kingdom, recognized the area that runs between the southwest coast of the island of Teide and La Gomera. as Whale Heritage by a resident population of pilot whales unique in the world, of about 200 specimens.
Seabirds such as the osprey, the Cory’s shearwater or the common tern, dolphins, invertebrates such as brain sponges and a multitude of algae, among other species, make up a “spectacular” ecosystem due to its rich biodiversity, known in the scientific world as the “ Serengeti of the pilot whales.” At least 74 protected marine species have been cataloged in the Teno-Rasca SAC. The region is home to one of the largest resident colonies known in the world of short-finned pilot whales, according to researcher at the Department of Animal Biology of the University of La Laguna (ULL), Natacha Aguilar.
In statements to Radio Club Tenerife reported by EFE, Suárez defended that the port of Fonsalía would represent “the definitive solution” to the traffic problems between the port of Los Cristianos and the connection with the highway, which recur during holiday periods.
Pedro Suárez recalled that in his previous stage at the head of Puertos de Tenerife, different options were addressed together with the Cabildo to “alleviate” this situation, but they were “temporary solutions” such as eliminating parking to gain a road or burying part of the journey, and that now “we have to go back to it” and add other measures.
He has elaborated that Puertos de Tenerife intends to “make Los Cristianos operational” through a “major remodeling and gaining space, but this is not the definitive solution”, which involves building the Fonsalía port.
Suárez has indicated that “part of the land infrastructure was already prepared”, for example, the connection with the island ring, which “is made with the possibility of that port in mind”, that “it does not disturb any population environment” and that “ “It would be very beneficial for La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.”
He has regretted that the project “apparently was lost” by letting the environmental impact report of the sheet of water expire, which, he considers, must be resumed, although the competition lies with Puertos de Canarias, with whom “we will have to meet shortly to see what the decision is going to be.”
“The Government of the Canary Islands has to take a step forward and try to solve the problem,” Pedro Suárez has elaborated, because with the port of Fonsalía “we would leave Los Cristianos as a Canarian port with a large marina for yachts and megayachts, where the city could be benefited.”
And as it is now, and in this he assures that he agrees with the mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes (PP), Los Cristianos “does not have any benefit” from the port, since it supports traffic that does not stop in that nucleus. .
Pedro Suárez believes that resuming the Fonsalía port project “must be treated calmly” because “these are very long works. It is likely that we can get it on track in this mandate but they take time to do, they require many reports.”
In any case, “what has to be expressed is the political will to do so or look for other solutions, but right now they don’t cross my mind,” he concluded.
