The Anaga Biosphere Reserve, located within the municipality of Tegueste, is pioneering a landscape management model that combines traditional livestock farming, fire prevention, and ecological conservation. A total of 400 sheep, commonly known as firefighter sheep, are tasked with clearing ravines, paths, and plots, effectively acting as a natural firebreak as they feed.
The initiative is led by farmers José Manuel Trujillo Hernández and Francisco Javier Rodríguez García, members of the Guayeros Association of the Villa de Tegueste (AGUAVITE), and has institutional support from Tegueste Town Hall.
Mayor Norberto Padilla emphasised the strategic importance of this initiative, highlighting that the municipality is a pioneer on the island of Tenerife.
“We are committed to real, economical, and environmentally-friendly solutions. This targeted grazing model not only prevents fires but also boosts our livestock sector, supports ecosystem maintenance, and contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable municipality. We aim to establish this project as a model for the entire island,” he stated.
Councillor for the Environment, Julián Rodríguez, stressed the importance of “seeking effective, sustainable solutions that are committed to our environment,” within the framework of a measure being implemented in the Anaga Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO on 9 June 2015, a site of exceptional natural value.
“If this area were to catch fire, we would lose one of the most important environmental treasures in the Canaries. We cannot allow this,” he declared.
The firefighter sheep are not merely a symbol; they are a functional and efficient tool, as noted by the Town Hall. Each sheep consumes between 4 and 5 kilograms of dry vegetation daily, which would otherwise serve as fuel during the hotter months. “What is considered weeds to many is food for these animals,” they highlighted.
José Luis García Ángel, president of AGUAVITE, reiterated that this work has “a direct positive environmental impact,” emphasising that “these sheep do the job; they eat the problem.”
In that context, he remarked that institutions need to “be more involved” and help hire someone to accompany the livestock and manage the manual clearing of high undergrowth that the sheep cannot reach.
“This way, we prevent that vegetation from becoming a fire hazard,” he pointed out.
A Project Born Out of the 2023 Fire
This project, promoted by Tegueste Town Hall through the Environment and Primary Sector departments, in collaboration with the AGUAVITE Association, was conceived in response to the emergency experienced during the summer of 2023, when a major fire affected the island of Tenerife amid extreme drought and high temperatures.
Facing a shortage of grazing land, farmers Trujillo and Rodríguez decided to let their sheep roam in search of food, as had already been done on the island of Gran Canaria. Since then, they have continued to traverse paths and ravines in areas such as El Socorro, Pedro Álvarez, Portezuelo, and Molina.
“In each area we clear, we create a safer, more protected environment against fire. We have learned from our counterparts in Gran Canaria, where this model is already established. There, herds are equipped with GPS, and shepherds receive compensation per hectare grazed. Technical monitoring allows for accurate outcome measurements, and costs are lower than hiring a cleaning crew. We want to achieve a similar level here,” remarked Francisco Rodríguez.
The aim is to achieve total integration of targeted grazing within public policies for the protection of rural and forest environments, thereby ensuring the continuity of an active and functional livestock model.
Consequently, a European campaign titled More Grazing, Less Posturing has been launched. Additionally, the response from local residents has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have expressed their satisfaction with the presence of livestock in at-risk areas, appreciating both the environmental impact and the revival of a traditional practice that plays a key role in the protection of rural and forest landscapes.
