Tenerife Court Accepts Complaint Against Socialists Over Fishing Logo

A court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has accepted a complaint filed by Antolín Bueno Jorge, a former councilor for Coalición Canaria on the Tenerife Island Council. The complaint, filed on September 16, targets two socialists: Pedro Martín, who was president in the previous term, and Javier Parrilla, who was then in charge of the Primary Sector. Bueno accuses them of "modifying and publicly using the logo of the 'Artisanal Fishing' brand in 2020 without legal permission."

The complaint argues that public money was spent on this, and that the established rules for changing the logo were repeatedly ignored. According to Bueno, this happened "despite repeated warnings from government technicians" and the new logo was then used for two more years.

The controversy began in March 2023 when Bueno, then in opposition, proposed a motion to the full Council. He demanded that Pedro Martín take action against Javier Parrilla for the "illegal and unilateral" change of the fishing sector's emblem. Parrilla had unveiled the new logo at a press conference on November 18, 2020. Bueno's complaint highlights that throughout 2021 and 2022, the Council's Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries promoted artisanal fishing using this new logo, spending public funds in the process.

Bueno's aim was to "clarify who was responsible for the illegal change of the Artisanal Fishing logo." He provided a timeline of events, including a key report from the General Secretariat of the Plenary (dated January 26, 2023, updated March 7). This report warned that changing and using the emblem unilaterally could lead to "civil and criminal liabilities" because it didn't follow Council rules or its Code of Good Governance. It suggested that then-President Pedro Martín should start an investigation to determine responsibilities for using the new logo before its official rules of use had been properly changed.

On March 3, 2023, the new logo was brought before the Council for initial approval. However, the councilor responsible for the area withdrew it from the agenda after an amendment to stop the logo change project was passed. This vote saw 14 in favor (from CC-PNC and PP), 13 against (from PSOE and Cs), and three abstentions.

Later, on March 31, 2023, the CC-PNC Group proposed a motion to investigate Javier Parrilla's potential responsibility for changing the "Artisanal Fishing" brand's rules of use "without following established legal procedures." The vote ended in a 15-15 tie, and the proposal was rejected by the deciding vote of the Council's president, Pedro Martín.

Antolín Bueno has consistently argued that Javier Parrilla changed the logo on his own in November 2020 and used public funds for it. He adds that the Council's administrative services warned Parrilla not to use the new logo before its final approval by the full Council, which never occurred. Bueno points out that the "Artisanal Fishing" brand and its regulations were originally approved by the Tenerife Island Council in December 2015.

Bueno notes that his Nationalist Group requested the General Secretariat's report that highlighted potential civil and criminal liabilities. He adds that they later asked for an extension, providing proof that the unauthorized logo was being used. This second report instructed the Council president to start an investigation into Councilor Parrilla to determine any responsibilities he might have. When President Martín refused to act, Bueno says, "we brought the motion to the full Council and warned that we would take the matter to court. And that's what we've done."

The former CC-PNC councilor explains that "the Use Regulations of the Artisanal Fishing Collective Brand, along with local government and trademark laws, have been violated." He adds that since the change in government in July 2023 (when CC and PP took over), the original, legally approved logo has been used again.

Javier Parrilla defended himself in Council meetings, arguing that "the regulations are clear, and there was no negative report about anything." He felt that CC was trying to "undermine the commitment shown over four years to Tenerife's fishing industry." He stressed that the 2023 fishing budget alone was larger than the total investment made by the previous government (2015-2019) over its entire four-year term.

Parrilla also stated that between 2020 and 2023, they had quadrupled investment, spending over 2.5 million euros. In his view, "Coalición Canaria is against artisanal fishing because all they do is obstruct management, interrupting processes for both aid and promotion."

Bueno Jorge insists, "My goal in filing this complaint isn't to target anyone personally; I have no personal interest." He stresses that he is "criticizing actions that I believe were illegal," and that "the secretary's report confirms this." He adds, "I want action to be taken to stop anyone, no matter who they are, from treating public matters as their own and from disrespecting rules that we all must follow."

Antolín Bueno believes it's "every citizen's duty" to report such incidents. He wants to warn "anyone who thinks they can do whatever they want without accountability that public office isn't the place for that, and rules must be followed." He concludes that "we must all work together to ensure the best people are in public service, not just in the private sector, to help restore its reputation."

Bueno argues that "public service is damaged by daily examples of people doing things wrong, which ultimately hurts everyone. I'm not looking for attention; I just want what the secretary's report says should be done, to be done, and not to be complicit in potentially criminal acts."