The expedited process to remove windblown sediment near the Hotel Santa Mónica has revealed the rich biodiversity colonizing the banks of the Costa Canaria Promenade. The sector-specific file, activated to protect the sewer system in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, has identified highly protected endemic species within the Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Technical reports from the Gran Canaria Island Council mandate the immediate halt of any excavation work due to the potential impact on local flora and fauna, transforming a pipe maintenance project into a strict environmental safeguard protocol in the heart of the island's southern tourist area.
Surveys conducted by the Biodiversity Service confirm that sand accumulation has created new microhabitats next to hotel terraces. Scientists have mapped areas of high concentration of Pimelia granulicollis, an endemic beetle protected by EU regulations, whose survival depends on the stability of stands of Traganum moquinii (balancón).
The discovery of these coastal biodiversity hotspots necessitates the establishment of exclusion zones for trucks and excavators, prohibiting the use of heavy machinery in bird breeding areas and in sectors of embryonic mobile dunes bordering the accommodation complexes. Mechanical restrictions and coordination with the Masdunas project
The environmental contingency plan designed by the island corporation imposes strict controls on logistical operations. Authorized construction companies must limit earthmoving to a strict time frame between 06:30 a.m. and 14:00 p.m. to mitigate noise pollution in the four-star tourist resorts and reduce the impact of vibrations on underground beetles.
Environmental Agents will supervise each workday in person, requiring 48 hours' prior notification to the Island Operational Coordination Center (CECOPIN) before starting the transit of trucks towards the coastal dune dumping areas.
The monitoring of the work includes the mandatory recording of the volume of sand extracted from the area surrounding the Hotel Santa Mónica, which will be integrated into the habitat dynamics models of the Masdunas scientific project. The winning companies will assume the sole risk of the operations, and the disposal of any type of waste or hydrocarbon within the perimeter of the Special Reserve is strictly prohibited. This measure aims to reconcile the survival of urban infrastructure with the integrity of the grey dunes, a vulnerable coastal ecosystem that requires the immediate eradication of invasive alien species and the urgent relocation of sewage pipes outside the public maritime-terrestrial domain.
