Fresh oil spill mars Salinetas beach
The New Canarias Bloque Canarista group in Telde has reported the appearance of a new spill at Salinetas beach this Sunday, with a highly visible layer of grease coating the sand, the organisation stated in a press release. “Today, a new episode of pollution has again appeared at Salinetas beach with a more than visible layer of grease on the sand. This is not an isolated incident, as residents and users of our coastline well know,” the group emphasised.
Accusations of secrecy and inaction
In this regard, the political formation has also denounced “the lack of transparency from the mayor regarding the issue of pollution on our beaches,” the organisation asserted. The statement highlighted that “the city of Telde is faced (once again) with coastal pollution, and the absolute lack of transparency and capability of the city’s governing group.”
Furthermore, New Canarias had already demanded explanations from the mayor, Juan Antonio Peña, during the last municipal plenary session regarding the state of Telde’s beaches. According to the group, the mayor refused to answer, thereby returning to “his personal hallmark of neglect and lack of transparency towards residents.”
Calls for accountability from local and regional government
New Canarias Telde will continue to insist on the need to take measures, with inspections and analyses to protect the beaches and coastline of the Gran Canaria municipality. They added, “The same demand for transparency and swiftness in seeking solutions that we make of the Telde Government, we extend to the Government of the Canary Islands, which to date has also failed to demonstrate that it is treating the issue of pollution on Telde’s coasts with the seriousness the public deserves.”
New Canarias points out that Decree 212/2024 assigns the Directorate General of Fisheries functions of surveillance, inspection, technical supervision, and imposition of sanctions. Similarly, Law 17/2003 deals with the control of potential offences regarding spills, installations in prohibited zones, and other matters.
Denunciation of institutional failure
Therefore, New Canarias Telde insists on the “exercise of irresponsibility and dereliction of duty by both administrations: the local one, the Telde Government, for its lack of transparency (despite being regulated by Law 19/2013) and its inaction in the face of the serious problem our coast is suffering; and that of the Canary Islands Government for its scant to almost non-existent management to date, despite having direct competencies regulated by the aforementioned laws,” the communiqué concludes.
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