The Tenerife Island Council is stepping up its efforts in Madrid to revive the Anaga and Teno marine reserves. In pursuit of this goal, Island President Rosa Dávila, Primary Sector Counsellor Valentín González, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty Counsellor of the Canary Islands Government, Narvay Quintero, met in the Spanish capital yesterday with the Secretary General of Fisheries of the Spanish Government, María Isabel Artime.
According to Rosa Dávila, “after a waiting period of two decades, it is imperative that progress is made in establishing the Teno and Anaga Marine Reserves of Fishing Interest. Therefore, we call upon the Fisheries Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture to restart and complete the necessary procedures.”
Dávila emphasized that “these reserves are not only vital for conserving our marine ecosystems but also serve as an essential tool for reviving fishing resources and promoting the sustainable growth of our economy.” She pointed out that “scientific evidence, supported by institutions such as the Higher Council for Scientific Research and the University of La Laguna, shows that authorizing these protected areas will bring significant benefits in terms of biodiversity and socioeconomic development, benefiting both professional fishermen and activities related to tourism and recreation.”
The Tenerife Island Primary Sector Counsellor also expressed his views, stating that “our objective is to reactivate the declaration of the Marine Reserve of Fishing Interest in Teno and Anaga, as we believe that the socioeconomic and biological studies need to be updated after 20 years since the start of this process.”
González also highlighted “the necessity for active involvement of all users participating in the reserve,” including professional and recreational fishermen, scuba diving activities, and other activities that could take place in this area, “seeking the commitment of the institutions, in this case, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Government of Spain, as the reserve encompasses both external and internal waters.”
The Island Counsellor recalled that “there have been several resolutions from the plenary session of the Island Council, the most recent one in March 2020, reaffirming the commitment of the island institution to promote the reactivation of the Teno and Anaga marine reserves, and even to assume the economic and financial resources necessary to put this reserve into operation.”
Features
The proposed reserves cover approximately 23 kilometers in the case of Teno and 24.5 kilometers in the case of Anaga, with integral zones and buffer areas that allow for the protection and regeneration of marine resources.
Tenerife is home to around 400 fish species, many of which inhabit the waters of Teno and Anaga, with demersal and pelagic species being prominent, crucial for local fishing.
