The Lanzarote Island Hunting Council urgently convened this Friday to discuss the situation arising from the placement of poisoned baits in various locations within the municipality of Haría. The meeting, held at the Cabildo headquarters, concluded with a unanimous approval of two measures: the extension of the hunting ban in the affected area and the addition of two extra hunting days across the island.
The extraordinary meeting, chaired by the Councillor for Hunting, Samuel Martín, was attended by representatives from hunting associations, Ecologists in Action, the Haría Town Council, technical and environmental agents, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Insular Administration of the State, and security forces.
The Council members agreed to extend the hunting ban in Haría for an additional fifteen days, until 4th September. The resumption of activities will depend on the validation of technical reports currently being prepared following the discovery of new poisoning cases.
Simultaneously, the hunting season on the rest of the island has been extended with two additional days for hunting partridge and rabbit. These dates, set for 30th October and 2nd November, must be approved by the Government of the Canary Islands before coming into effect.
The Cabildo has reminded hunters of the importance of not handling or burying any potential poisoned animals, as this would hinder the chain of custody for the evidence required for ongoing investigations.
Ongoing Investigations
Authorities have reported that tracking and sample collection efforts continue in the northern municipality, aiming to identify those responsible for placing the toxic baits. Technicians and specialised agents have intensified inspections in the field following confirmed incidents of wildlife and domestic animal deaths in recent weeks.
The President of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, praised the Council’s unanimity on this matter and emphasised that the priority remains “the protection of public health and the safeguarding of island biodiversity.” He also noted that despite strengthened monitoring in Haría, “new poisoning incidents have occurred, necessitating utmost caution.”
For his part, Councillor Samuel Martín expressed gratitude for the efforts of the teams working on detecting baits and affected animals, highlighting that the agreements reached demonstrate “a shared responsibility in seeking solutions and upholding legality.”
An Island-Wide Issue
The technical representative of the regional government present at the meeting supported the measures adopted by the Council, while ecological and hunting associations agreed on the need to ensure the safety of both people and animals before resuming hunting in the area.
Involved administrations reiterated their commitment to collaborating further to clarify the events and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The Haría Town Council has also indicated its willingness to strengthen municipal actions.
In the coming days, the Cabildo will submit the agreements to the Government of the Canary Islands for official validation, a necessary step for incorporating the new hunting dates into the existing calendar.
