- The technicians from the Hunting Area are already working on detailed maps of Haría to identify feasible areas for this activity, documentation that will be submitted to the Government of the Canary Islands
- Oswaldo Betancort expresses gratitude for the consensus reached with the Lanzarote Hunters’ Society: “The Lanzarote hunter is exemplary: they engage in a sustainable, responsible activity and serve as a model of sportsmanship”
The technicians from the Hunting Area are already working on detailed maps of Haría to identify feasible areas for this activity, documentation that will be submitted to the Government of the Canary Islands
Oswaldo Betancort expresses gratitude for the consensus reached with the Lanzarote Hunters’ Society: “The Lanzarote hunter is exemplary: they engage in a sustainable, responsible activity and serve as a model of sportsmanship”
The Cabildo of Lanzarote, in agreement with the Lanzarote Hunters’ Society, has reached a key decision to lift the temporary ban on hunting activities in the municipality of Haría. This ban was issued in recent weeks due to several instances of poisoning of wildlife.
Yesterday afternoon, the President of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, and the Councillor for the Environment and Hunting, Samuel Martín, held a productive meeting at the Convent of Santo Domingo in Teguise, with a broad representation of over a thousand licensed hunters on the island. The meeting allowed the establishment of a consensus roadmap, primarily focusing on zoning the northern area of Lanzarote to designate authorized hunting areas where there have been no instances of poisoning.
The technicians from the Hunting Area are already working on detailed maps that will identify feasible spaces for this practice. This documentation will soon be submitted to the Government of the Canary Islands to obtain approval from the relevant authorities. The Cabildo aims to enable this exceptional pathway before the opening of shotgun hunting, scheduled for 28 September.
Since early August, 24 cases of poisoning have been recorded, affecting both wild and domestic animals, including hunting dogs, canary crows, domestic dogs, cats, and hedgehogs. This is the reason for the temporary suspension in Haría.
Both the president and the councillor expressed their gratitude for the constructive attitude of the hunters during the meeting. Betancort emphasised that “the temporary closure is a consequence of the actions of one or more criminals who will be identified and must answer to justice for the damage they are causing to the entire society of Lanzarote.” He also highlighted that “the Lanzarote hunter is exemplary: they engage in a sustainable and responsible activity and serve as a model of sportsmanship.”
Betancort concluded that this meeting has provided “a list of tasks to continue working on, both from the presidency of the Cabildo and from the Parliament of the Canary Islands,” referencing issues raised during the meeting such as training fields, the possible updating of hunting seasons, the promotion of the Podenco Canario, and the need to address amendments to the Canary Islands Hunting Law, amongst other matters.
For his part, Councillor Samuel Martín expressed his belief that “the zoning work proposed by the Cabildo will receive the Government of the Canary Islands’ authorisation promptly and will be included in the new hunting regulations.” He also mentioned that the island institution plans to extend the hunting period across the island by a couple of days to compensate for the closure affecting the municipality of Haría.
Ongoing Collaboration
Both Betancort and Martín recalled that this significant issue has been managed in an orderly fashion, thanks to the close cooperation between the Cabildo and the Hunters’ Society. This relationship has been strengthened in recent months with joint initiatives such as wheat planting, the installation of water troughs, and promoting responsible hunting practices, among other collaborative projects that will continue with the holding of new working groups after the hunting period concludes.
“The outcome of this episode confirms that by working together, we can provide balanced responses to a sector that is an essential part of the culture and environment of Lanzarote,” concluded Oswaldo Betancort.
