Unidas will present an initiative to the Plenary of the Lagoon this Tuesday, led by Councillor Idaira Afonso, aimed at demonstrating local backing for the establishment of the Marine Reserve of Fishing Interest (RMIP) of Anaga. This is a “long-standing request” from the area’s fishing community that has been pending for two decades.
It is worth recalling that in 1989, Professor Bacallado proposed initial areas suitable for the establishment of marine reserves of fishing interest in Tenerife. This proposal identified three sectors that align with the three vertices of the island and its vicinity: the points of Teno, Anaga, and Rasca.
The Cabildo initiated relevant studies in 2002 to propose to the Ministry of Environment the creation of two RMIP on the island, one at the tip of Teno and another at Punta de Anaga, following the observation of a general decline in fishing resources and indications of marine and coastal degradation.
The Replace report, compiled by over 60 experts in the field, concludes that the island’s fishery resources “are at a peak of exploitation or directly facing overexploitation,” implying that shortly, “many species may vanish, the price of fresh fish is likely to soar, and a considerable number of workers in the primary sector will lose their livelihoods” since “it will become unfeasible to sustain a living.”
According to the report, protected marine areas serve as “an exceptional tool for managing and conserving biodiversity, habitats, and resources,” potentially yielding “exceptionally difficult” socio-economic benefits compared to other management methods.
The report further recommends the “implementation and enhancement of RMIP in the Canary Islands” within the context of a comprehensive coastal management strategy. It highlights the need that the fishing sector itself has been advocating for over the past 20 years.
“It is the professionals themselves who alert us that the coastline and its biodiversity must be safeguarded, or there will soon be nothing left to fish,” stated the mayor.
Unidas can also advocate for the establishment of the Anaga Marine Reserve, aimed at protecting the coastline’s biodiversity while “halting the overexploitation of resources” and defending the interests of the fishing sector.
“There is a consensus on the need for the creation of the reserve, but progress seems stalled. Now that it appears there is an opportunity to bring it to fruition, we intend to appeal to the lagoon in favour of supporting the fishing sector and environmental protection,” they concluded.
