AM-CC: Don't Pests and Diseases Enter Through the Port of La Luz?

“The silence of entities and associations regarding the announcement of this new link with Africa highlights the double standard with which the connection between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario was treated.”

Background

The President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, announced, during a recent visit by a delegation from the Port of Agadir, the intention to consolidate a direct maritime connection with the Moroccan city. The goal, she said, is to cut cargo arrival times from Morocco by roughly a day and a half.

Double Standard and Incoherent Policy

The Assembly of Majorca – Canary Coalition (AM‑CC) denounces what it calls a “double standard” in the way the Port Authority of Las Palmas promotes a new line between Agadir and Gran Canaria, while remaining silent on the same issue that sparked fierce opposition when the Puerto del Rosario–Tarfaya route was proposed.

• Associations that previously opposed the Puerto del Rosario–Tarfaya line – such as ASAGA, COAG Canarias, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, and the Canary Government’s Department of Agriculture – have not spoken out against the prospective Agadir–La Luz connection.
• Those groups had argued that a maritime link between Fuerteventura and the African continent would pose an irreversible risk to the Canary Islands’ primary sector.
• According to AM‑CC, the new announcement has not triggered any alerts from the primary sector about pest introduction, nor has it raised concerns about competition from Moroccan agricultural products.

“The silence regarding the new Gran Canaria–Morocco link evidences the double standard with which the Tarfaya–Puerto del Rosario connection was handled,” the party’s island executive states.

Questioning the Risk Narrative

AM‑CC points out that no farmer associations, animal‑feed importers, livestock producers, or technical officials have voiced opposition to the Agadir–La Luz line—unlike the vocal resistance that blocked the Fuerteventura–Tarfaya route. The party asks:

“If the dock is moved from Puerto del Rosario to Gran Canaria, do phytosanitary and epizootic pests and diseases not enter through the Port of La Luz?”

Imbalance Between Capital and Non‑Capital Islands

The coalition argues that the policy inconsistency reflects a broader two‑speed development model within the archipelago:

• When the Tarfaya–Puerto del Rosario line was promoted, strong social and political pressure led to its blockage.
• The Agadir–Las Palmas proposal is now presented as a strategic opportunity, with no apparent risk cited.

This, AM‑CC warns, deepens insular inequality, granting development advantages to some islands while denying the same opportunities to others.

Future Plans and Unfulfilled Proposals

• The reopening of the Fuerteventura–Tarfaya line would be accompanied by a reinforced Border Inspection Point (PIF) to prevent the entry of any harmful pests or pathogens.
• The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Municipality of Puerto del Rosario, backed by the President of the Canary Government, had proposed including the Puerto del Rosario–Tarfaya route in the Port Authority’s 2035 strategic plan. According to AM‑CC, this initiative has been set aside in favor of the Agadir line.

The coalition concludes that consistent, island‑wide criteria are essential to avoid a “triple insularity” that hampers the development and influence of the non‑capital islands.