Agents from the Civil Guard’s Nature Protection Service (Seprona), in conjunction with the Canary Islands Government Health Area, have intervened in an illegal avocado nursery situated in the municipality of El Rosario, Tenerife, seizing 14,000 plants.
The nursery consisted of facilities spanning 700 square metres, where seeds were germinated, primarily avocados, as reported by the security agency.
There, the initial vegetative phases of the plants were managed until they reached a planting stage (seedlings) in individual formats, which were then intended for transplanting to agricultural land within the Canary archipelago. The agents discovered 14,000 avocado plants across various developmental stages.
According to the Civil Guard, these activities were being conducted without the necessary municipal activity licenses and lacked the appropriate sector authorisations concerning plant health from the Canary Islands government.
During the inspection, two individuals were seen conducting commercial activities. Following the necessary checks, it was determined that they could not prove their work was legal, as they were not registered with Social Security as employees.
The agents also uncovered stored phytosanitary products containing banned substances. Additionally, there was a lack of proper labelling and inadequate conditions for possession and custody, thus contravening plant health regulations.
Consequently, inspectors from the Plant Health Area took action to secure the operation and facilities, restricting access for maintenance purposes, and confiscating approximately 14,000 avocado plants at various growth stages (from seeds to seedlings), which were held by the owner of the site.
The investigation remains open should additional administrative or even criminal offences be detected.
For the infractions committed, proposals for sanctions for various administrative violations will be submitted to the relevant public authorities responsible in the field.
