The number of disciplinary proceedings multiplies by six those investigated in 2022 and doubles those registered in 2021
Raúl García Brink assures that it is planned to increase the number of troops dedicated to the protection and surveillance of the Natural Reserve
The Department of the Environment allocates one million euros to various actions aimed at controlling the enclave, framed in the 'Impulsa Maspalomas' plan
The Environment Department of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, supervised by Raúl García Brink, has imposed between January and July 2023 a total of 120 sanctions for traveling and camping in non-permitted places in the Maspalomas Dunes Special Nature Reserve. . This figure multiplies by six the number of disciplinary proceedings that were filed throughout 2022, when a total of 20 were registered, and also doubles the 60 opened in 2021.
The sanctions are motivated by the impact on a protected area with a level of protection that is one of the highest in environmental regulations, since damage is caused to the dune ecosystem. Hence, the majority of the penalties are 150 euros, for failing to comply with the rules, which are perfectly clear at the different information points and signs. Offenders can reduce the amount of the penalty if they pay in advance, which allows them to reduce the penalty by 20%. Likewise, higher sanctions have been imposed on companies in the audiovisual sector (photography, videos...) that enter unauthorized areas to carry out their work.
Raúl García Brink highlights how this activity "has experienced a very important rebound in 2023, when the data collected in previous years has been greatly exceeded, possibly due to the pandemic." Thus, he stressed that, in order to continue improving the control tasks of the Reserve, it is planned to increase the number of personnel who carry out this task, which is currently a team of four Environmental agents, incorporated in 2020, as well as the use of technological devices to control the large surface of the Reserve, declared as a protected space in 1987 and 1994, with the use of drones and technological detection equipment.
In this sense, the counselor recalled that, at the end of the previous mandate, the island Corporation obtained 5,5 million euros from the 'Next Generation' funds of the European Union, for the 'Impulsa Maspalomas' project, led by the Island Council of Energy (CIEGC) and whose objective is to improve the resilience capacity of this tourist area in the short and medium term, mainly through the enhancement of the natural heritage and the Dunes as the backbone, as well as guaranteeing their protection and surveillance.
García Brink maintains that, within the programmatic axis of digital transition of this initiative, several actions are included in which it is planned to invest one million euros, aimed at guaranteeing the surveillance and protection of the Reserve. Specifically, it involves the development of the 'Destination Sensory' plan, to which 450.000 euros are dedicated and which involves deploying a network of anthropic, climatic and environmental sensors, which will allow us to measure how many pedestrians circulate on the roads of the Dunes and their capacity. load. "It's about using new technologies to have exact knowledge of the flow of people who come together in this area," said the counselor.
Likewise, 100.000 euros are allocated to the installation of LED information screens in the areas surrounding the enclave that have the greatest influx of tourists, who will be provided with information about the Natural Reserve, its values and the rules of behavior to follow therein. different languages. And to all this we must add the new signage elements and intelligent tourist information points, which have a budget of 450.000 euros and which will improve the signage of the enclave.
In this same line of awareness, García Brink stressed that the Cabildo has already maintained a first contact with tourism organizations, with the aim of launching a campaign that will be designed in the last quarter of this year and that will be launched in 2024. , for the awareness and sensitization of the entire Gran Canaria population and those who visit the Island. "From the Department of the Environment, we are going to dedicate a part of that budget to the enhancement of the Natural Reserve, its landscape and environmental values , and try to raise awareness about what the conduct of that area should be, and all of this in full coordination with the sector, so that they can tell us the best channels to reach tourists," he concluded.
