The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, under the jurisdiction of Strategic Planning, Environmental Sustainability, and Public Services sector, has penalised two residents of the city with a fine of 1,000 euros each for the act of feeding pigeons on public pathways. This action is in violation of the Municipal Ordinance that governs the Protection and Ownership of Animals in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This violation is considered a serious administrative offence and carries a penalty of up to 1,500 euros. The incident occurred on the Ángel Romero and Las Asuncionistas avenues.
Santa Cruz mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, highlighted that “this behaviour constitutes a serious breach and a lack of consideration towards other citizens. Feeding any type of food to animals on public pathways is unacceptable. These residents must be penalised to deter such actions from recurring as they pose serious public health issues and damage our city’s heritage.”
The Strategic Planning, Environmental Sustainability, and Public Services Councillor, Carlos Tarife, remarked, “We will continue to enforce penalties against individuals who feed pigeons in Santa Cruz. These practices not only contribute to an uncontrolled increase in the pigeon population but can also spread diseases such as histoplasmosis, salmonellosis and cryptococcosis. Moreover, pigeons can carry pests such as bedbugs and ticks, leading to significant damage to architectural heritage and urban infrastructure. This incurs economic consequences for the public treasury due to the cost of repairs.”
The councillor further added, “The City Council is investing significant resources to manage the overwhelming number of pigeons in the city. We cannot tolerate people feeding them, which not only leads to food waste on public pathways but also attracts other pests like rats and cockroaches.”
It is important to note that under the pest control contract, the City Council successfully captures approximately 700 to 1,000 pigeons per month using cages and nets. Additionally, controlled flights of falcons have been deployed in specific locations such as Plaza de España and García Sanabria Park to instil a conditioned response, creating a sense of insecurity for pigeons in these areas, thereby reducing reproduction and their presence.”
