Campaigners Urge Tenerife Council to Revoke Status of 'Underwater Garden' Project

The Underwater Garden project in Guía de Isora is facing political uncertainty after the "Salvar Punta Blanca" platform called for its cancellation. The group has urged Tenerife Island Council President Rosa Dávila to revoke the "island interest" status granted to the project in 2022, arguing that the economic conditions that originally justified the decision have since changed.

The controversy centers on the legal status of this declaration. The platform claims the Council has the power to reverse it, which they believe would effectively end the project. Opponents argue that the special administrative status was only granted due to the health crisis, and since that context no longer exists, the original justification is invalid.

The project involves a 10.6-hectare site featuring underwater exhibits of marine life, art, and science. While the maritime area is managed by the General Directorate of Coasts, the land portion is under the Council's jurisdiction. The platform argues that because the project functions as a single business unit, the loss of the Council’s support would make the entire venture financially unviable.

The platform is now pressuring the island’s leadership to act. They have challenged Rosa Dávila to prove her neutrality by revoking the "island interest" declaration, arguing that this is the only way to demonstrate that the Council is not prioritizing private interests in this part of southern Tenerife.