New penalty for engaging in prohibited activities within the protected natural areas of Tenerife. The Cabildo de Tenerife has issued a fine of 2,000 euros to an individual for travelling with a motor vehicle, specifically a quad bike, along a path in the Natural Park of the Forest Crown.
The action was initiated at the request of the Canarian police, one of the security forces that has intensified its monitoring of the natural areas on the island. The incident was classified as an infraction under article 392.2 of the Land Law and the Protected Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands: circulation, stopping, or parking of vehicles outside designated areas for that purpose.
Such activities, which pose a serious threat to individuals using the island’s paths and harm the environment, are subject to fines ranging from 600 to 6,000 euros.
Canarian police officers in a natural area of Tenerife. / Canarian police
Indeed, the file considered that travelling along a path or track, apart from the risk of environmental damage through erosion and disturbance to wildlife, creates a potential danger for pedestrians and other road users. The defendant opted not to proceed with an early voluntary payment, hence the penalty is imposed in full.
This latest penalty is part of an initiative undertaken by the Cabildo de Tenerife to safeguard the island’s invaluable resources
This new fine for prohibited behaviour in the protected natural areas of Tenerife forms part of the operation initiated by the Cabildo de Tenerife and its environmental agents, with the cooperation of the Canarian Police and the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Civil Guard, to combat activities that threaten the island’s rich biodiversity.
On January 1, Tenerife also penalised irregular activities conducted by four cyclists on the paths of the island’s protected areas. The natural environment office of the Cabildo de Tenerife imposed fines totalling more than 1,000 euros on four cyclists caught practising mountain biking and downhill riding on prohibited trails.
In one incident, officers from the regional security force reported two individuals who descended on bicycles from the Arafo volcano, from the crucita to the area known as the Boiler of Pedro Gil. These paths and surrounding areas are protected as part of the Tenerife forest crown.
Four cyclists were also fined at the beginning of the year for using paths where this activity is banned in Tenerife
Each cyclist received a fine of 1,600 euros. The rationale behind the penalties, besides engaging in prohibited activities on these paths, includes causing damage to these natural environments and jeopardising the safety of individuals using these trails frequented by families.
Two other cyclists were penalised with fines of 1,400 euros each for practising mountain biking on another protected route in the lagunets, the majority of which is situated on the northern slope of the island. The reasons for these fines are consistent: travelling through prohibited areas, endangering hikers, and causing damage to areas of significant natural value in Tenerife.
The enforcement boost of the surveillance operation in Tenerife’s protected areas, which account for 52% of the island’s total area, will continue to eliminate these behaviours that concern both residents and visitors.
