The Canary Islands are hotspots for many reasons – not just because they’re volcanic! The flight of the Great British Tourist has made them a favourite holiday destination; boosting the economy but bringing relentless pressure to these small, isolated islands. Increasingly these one-time visitors are now chosing to set up home on the Islands, building the pressue that risks sacrificing more of the island's unique natural environment.
Their isolation gives them another hotspot claim to fame, they are home to wildlife that occurs there and no-where else – the blue chaffinch is just one example. The news reported here in the Daily Telegraph is, therefore, very worrying and if it were to go through would ramp up the pressure on the Canary Island’s wildlife significantly. Pressure to down-grade protection for some of the island's wildlife is not only coming from tourist-related development but also port proposals.
But the natural environment of the Canary Islands have friends – a lot of them. What the report doesn’t say is that 4000 local people encircled the Canary Island’s Parliament in protest. The essential first step to downgrade the level of protection is to build a scientific case and this is completely lacking – indeed the scientific community is firmly behind the protests.
SEO, the BirdLife International partner in Spain is on the case and their Canary Island staff are in the thick of the battle to overturn this crude assault on the protection of a unique natural environment. Through ‘Saving Special Places’ we will let you know how this develops.