Today, Ecologists in Action unveiled their ‘Black Flags 2024’ report in La Laguna, Tenerife, citing severe environmental concerns on Spanish beaches. This report flagged 48 beaches nationwide, including four in the Canary Islands, for issues such as wastewater discharge and poor environmental management. Each coastal province contributed two beaches to this count, with an additional beach each from the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
The cited environmental problems include impacts on biodiversity, marine debris, waste dumping, and shortcomings in sanitation and water purification systems. This year’s report also highlights the detrimental effects of tourism and coastal urbanisation, which are particularly problematic in the Canary Islands. Spokespersons Claudia Asensi and Pablo Díaz from Ben-Magec Ecologists in Action de Canarias, along with Cristóbal López from Ecologists in Action, participated in the report presentation.
The breakdown of the 48 black flags includes: 15 for coastal urbanisation encroaching on the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain; 16 for waste dumping and significant sanitation and purification issues; six flags were due to chemical, light, and/or noise pollution; one flag for damage to the interactive map marking historical and cultural sites within the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain; three flags for the accumulation of marine litter; three for unnecessary dredging and port expansions; and four for biodiversity damage, often a secondary effect of the other issues.
In the Canary Islands specifically, two flags were awarded for wastewater discharge on Tenerife and at Playa Blanca, and two more for poor management practices at the Hotel La Tejita and Hotel Cuna del Alma constructions, as well as at the Hotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort in Fuerteventura’s Dunas de Corralejo Natural Park. Cristóbal López criticised these areas for their “predatory urban planning” which disproportionately benefits large hotel chains, exacerbating the negative impacts of tourism and construction pressures. He called for a rationalisation of tourism to prevent further local and environmental degradation.
Ecologists in Action has particularly flagged the Hotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort as an “illegal” structure that they demand be demolished immediately to restore the unique Corralejo Dunes, which have been significantly damaged by the construction.
Pablo Díaz from Ben-Magec argues that the demolition of the Oliva Beach should set a precedent for other projects, urging sustainable development that protects the Canary Islands’ natural landscapes.
The report also underscores a broader environmental issue impacting Spanish coasts—the high concentration of plastics. This was exemplified early this year by a significant plastic spill on the Galician coast from the Camp de Tarragona petrochemical complex, highlighting the urgent need for stringent regulations on plastic usage and handling to protect the environment.
