Domínguez Stresses “No to Rare Earths” in Parliament
The Canary Islands vice‑president says “Diversify, yes – but not at the expense of the territory.”
The vice‑president and Minister of Economy of the Canary Islands government, Manuel Domínguez, reiterated on Thursday in the Parliament that the Executive opposes the exploration of rare‑earth minerals in Fuerteventura. While the region seeks “economic diversification,” it must not be tied to the consumption of “more land” in the archipelago.
In a parliamentary commission, following a question from Vox deputy Nicasio Galván about whether the Executive had carried out any economic‑impact study on developing this industry in the Canary Islands, Domínguez made it clear that the regional government “has not carried out nor will carry out” a study on the projection of rare‑earth extraction on the eastern island.
He added that the regional government’s commitment to economic diversification exists, provided it is linked to the “lowest possible land use.” Sectors that meet this criterion include the gaming industry, music, film, aerospace and naval industries, as well as renewable‑energy projects that can be developed without extensive terrain consumption.
“Our young people are leaving. They cannot become independent in time, they cannot start families, and this is compounded by the few business opportunities available in the Canary Islands. Young people still cannot take that step, and I would like to know whether a study has been done on the impact of rare‑earth opportunities on the islands, since this industry could help increase productivity, wages, and economic diversification,” said Galván, emphasizing the demographic “emergency” of a 0.8‑child‑per‑woman fertility rate and the need to “fight the maternal gap.”
“Missed Opportunity”: Natural Gas
The regional minister also defended the need to protect Canary land from activities linked to rare‑earth mining. He agreed with Galván that the Canary Islands have “missed the opportunity” in recent years to introduce certain fuel uses—such as natural gas—that “today would have given us a transition to a different situation.”
“A major opportunity to work toward decarbonisation has been lost,” the Economy minister insisted, noting that, just as geothermal energy has already been promoted in the Canary Islands, rare‑earth extraction brings “conflicts of interest” that complicate its consideration, in addition to the negative impact on the land.
Thus, despite Galván’s urging to “get ahead” of a rare‑earth initiative that will eventually materialise, the Canary Islands vice‑president underscored the government’s goal to “diversify the economy while consuming the least possible territory,” always favouring economic sectors that bring high added value to the archipelago.