Bureaucratic Standoff Stalls San Marcos Coastline Restoration in Tenerife
Restoration efforts for Tenerife’s San Marcos coastline remain stalled as government agencies engage in a bureaucratic standoff over responsibility for the required environmental impact assessment.
Efforts to restore the San Marcos coastline in Icod de los Vinos have stalled due to a complex bureaucratic standoff between government agencies. Despite long-standing calls from the people of Tenerife for action, the project remains in limbo as officials argue over who is responsible for the necessary environmental impact assessment.
Legal opinions from both the national Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the regional government confirm that the Canary Islands’ Directorate General for Coasts is responsible for starting this assessment. However, progress has been at a standstill since the Icod City Council approved its recovery plan in August 2023.
Mayor Javier Sierra has publicly blamed Francis González, the Deputy Minister of Tourism Infrastructure, for the inaction. The City Council claims that the Coasts department failed to act for so long that the original application expired, suggesting that the delay is a result of political maneuvering rather than administrative necessity.
The situation is further complicated by the Directorate General for Infrastructure, Sustainability and Tourism Quality, which also maintains that the Coasts department holds the authority to act. This overlap of state and regional powers has created a bottleneck that continues to delay the project.
Meanwhile, local residents are losing patience. The "SOS Playa de San Marcos" group has expressed deep frustration, announcing plans to review the official reports and demand meetings with government leaders. After three years of broken promises, protests, and ongoing environmental decay, the community is determined to ensure the restoration project is not forgotten in the shuffle of government bureaucracy.