The City Council of La Oliva expressed “its deep concern” after former Minister for Equality and current Member of the European Parliament Irene Montero posted images of painted stones and shells on her social networks. “This action goes against current regulations on cultural heritage,” the Consistory, led by Isaí Blanco, of the Canarian Coalition, denounced in a statement.
According to the note, the stones could have been collected on the beaches of Fuerteventura. “We do not know their origin, but we want to emphasize that the Natural Heritage Law protects these resources, whether they are stolen from the archipelago or from the peninsula, because the alteration of the natural environment causes an imbalance in the ecosystem and the beauty of the place,” added, for his part, the Councilor for Tourism and the Environment, David Fajardo.
Blanco, likewise, explained that this kind of acts which includes the collection of shells, “goes against the collective effort to preserve the island.” Thus, he added, this conservation was possible “thanks to the commitment of the local community to protect the environment.” The government team of La Oliva reminded residents and visitors that these extractions of natural elements on the beaches “are strictly prohibited.”
“The local government regrets that public figures like Montero are the ones who carry out this type of actions and, in addition, publish them on social networks,” they denounced in the published note, in which they added that publications like that of the former minister “They promote behaviors that go against environmental protection laws, which creates a domino effect.”
Finally, the town hall of La Oliva asked Montero to clarify “the origin of the elements.” as well as rectify “publicly” in the event that they were stolen from their beaches.
The City Council stressed its “commitment to environmental conservation and the promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism”: “The City Council of La Oliva reminds us that our beaches and landscapes are not only a natural resource, but a heritage that we must protect and respect (…) we will not hesitate to take the necessary measures to avoid any act that endangers our natural heritage”, they concluded.
