Canary Islands: Teide National Park Plan Sparks Conservation Concerns
Environmental groups are urging Spain's National Parks Network Council to reject the Canary Islands government's Teide National Park management plan, citing scientific opposition and concerns it prioritizes tourism over conservation, potentially jeopardizing the park's World Heritage status.
Last Wednesday, environmental groups working to protect the Canary Islands sent a letter to the National Parks Network Council. They're asking the council to reject the new management plan (PRUG) for Teide National Park and immediately stop it from moving forward.
These groups say the plan, backed by the Canary Islands government, is a "serious step backward" for conservation. According to the group "Canarias tiene un límite," this goes against the rules of the National Parks Law and the Network's Master Plan, which say that protecting these natural areas should be the top priority.
The groups pointed out that during a meeting on September 29, the scientists and conservation experts – including those from the National Parks organization, the CSIC, and the University of La Laguna – all voted against the new plan. Even the park's director abstained, saying the plan "wasn't good enough" for protecting the park's important features.
Despite this, the regional government is still pushing the plan forward, saying it's based on "socio-political grounds," according to documents from the General Directorate of Natural Spaces and Biodiversity. The groups say there's no scientific support for this.
They reminded everyone that environmental rules say we should always maintain and improve existing protections, not weaken them. But they believe the Teide plan "loosens restrictions, allows damaging activities, and could lead to privatizing services," which would change the park's purpose and legal status.
The environmental groups warn that the new plan turns the National Park into "a place for tourism and business," making conservation less important and "risking" the natural beauty that made it a World Heritage Site. They also say it "doesn't use enough science" and continues a pattern of "mass tourism that threatens the park's ecosystem."
Because of this, the groups are asking the National Parks Network Council to reject the new plan and get a legal opinion from the Ministry for Ecological Transition to make sure the law is followed.
They also want the plan to be stopped until it respects the rule of "no stepping backward" in environmental protection. They're also asking the Canary Islands government to completely revise the plan.