Also distributed in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
1.50€ at newsagents.
THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EDITION 592
FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY TO THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY 2018 MOVIES AT ...
EATING OUT & ABOUT
PAGES PA 25 - 27
Your dining experience aroundd our o restaurants
FORTNIGHTLY SUPPLEMENT NT
property
PAGES 41 -48
guide
UPROAR AS CANARY WATERS “AT RISK AGAIN” FROM OIL PROSPECTING Fuerteventura says Morocco drilling will affect marine life
F
UERTEVENTURA is up in arms about a new oil prospecting application which they fear could affect the waters of the picturesque island and the Canaries in general. The institution is demanding information about the works authorised by near-by Morocco to an Italian company off the coasts of the eastern islands. Cabildo leaders want both the Spanish Government and the EU to intervene as a matter of urgency and to protect the archipelago from any future threat. They are reminding the State of what happened only a few years ago when Repsol was allowed to test-drill for oil off the Canaries. There was a massive outpouring of opposition, with more than 100 environmental organisations voicing their disgust and hundreds of thousands of people signing a protest petition. The application was allowed and a test boat was brought in but in the end, no sign of oil was found. On this occasion, the new bid is nothing to do with the Spanish Government but with Morocco. A statement issued by Fuerteventura Cabildo says; “The Government group in the Fuerteventura Cabildo (Canary Islands Coalition-PSC-PSOE) is directed to the General State Administration and the European Commission to adopt measures to prevent new oil prospecting from occurring in waters near the Canary Islands. “ “The Island Corporation is asking the State for information about the prospections authorised by Morocco to the Italian company ENI off the coasts of the eastern islands. The waters around Fuerteventura are again at risk and this authorisation is very bad news for the conservation of the sanctuar y of the marine reserve of the waters of this area of the archipelago.”,
“Therefore, we as the first public institution ask the State to “defend the waters of this insular environment making the necessary pressure and activate the necessar y procedures to safeguard them from new oil prospecting.” “In this sense, the Cabildo recalls the overwhelming rejection shown by the population and the institutions to conduct oil exploration in the waters surrounding the islands.” In addition, the Cabildo in
coordination with the Government of the Canary Islands and the rest of the institutions says it will take whatever actions are necessar y to ensure the preservation of the marine waters surrounding the islands and, thus, conserve the wealth of the marine habitat. On the other hand, the Cabildo de Fuerteventura continues to wait for the request from the Delegation of the State Government in the Canary Islands to respond to a request for information about submarine sounds detected in October by divers from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
Flashback to the 2016 protest by Greenpeace
Poema de Mar now open to the public T
HE fantastic new aquarium ‘Poema del Mar’ in Gran Canaria is now open to the public.
Following the institutional opening on December 17th, the second red letter day was January 8th as visitors can now discover the natural treasures of the oceans, seas and rivers of our planet. ‘Poema del Mar’ has a firm commitment to innovation, conservation of biodiversity and excellence in matters of the sustainable tourism. This has already been noted by the authorities of the Canar y Islands, who consider the project to be of “strategic interest for the region”. This will, undoubtedly, reinforce the international relevance of Gran Canaria and the entire archipelago as one of the best tourist destinations world-wide. ‘Poema del Mar’ will focus its efforts on the conservation of the Atlantic marine biodiversity in coordination
with Loro Parque Fundación, an organisation with more than 20 years of experience in this field and over 100 conservation projects in 30 countries dedicated to the protection of endangered species, with a total investment to date of USD 17,000,000. ‘Poema del Mar ’ offers three different zones: surface marine ecosystems, deep sea marine ecosystems and freshwater species. The visitor will start their journey immersed in the first of these zones, The Jungle, which recreates diverse landscapes in a real tribute to the five continents. The Reef is the second area which will invite you to a promenade around a giant cylinder that shows a great variety of multiple, bright colours created by the corals and fish.
Continued on page 2