The Canary Islands are facing mounting environmental challenges as illegal waste discharges into the sea continue to rise, prompting EU sanctions and growing concern among residents and officials.
The Minister for Ecological Transition and Energy, Mariano Hernández Zapata, said yesterday (Thursday) that “many years of neglect,” a lack of support for local councils, and outdated regulations dating back over three decades are at the heart of the crisis.
Speaking during a parliamentary committee session, Hernández Zapata said town councils, which bear the main responsibility for managing waste, are struggling with limited budgets and staff shortages. “It’s a situation that has been allowed to deteriorate over many years,” he admitted.
The consequences are being felt both locally and internationally. The European Union has already issued sanctions against the Canary Islands over the high number of unauthorised discharges, with marine life and ecosystems suffering significant damage as a result.
In response, the regional government is drawing up a new regulation to tighten controls and create a comprehensive register of all land-to-sea discharges. Monitoring efforts have been stepped up, with drones and divers now being used to track both existing and newly emerging sources of pollution.
Currently, there are 351 recorded discharges, 240 of which are still awaiting legal authorisation. Around 69% of these are under public ownership. The minister admitted that in many cases, inadequate water treatment facilities make authorisation “impossible”, underscoring the need for urgent infrastructure investment and regulatory reform.
As part of the solution, Hernández Zapata emphasised the importance of modernising outfall systems to reduce environmental harm. He revealed that a full set of new regulations, including a centralised discharge register, could be in place within months.
