A popular Spanish holiday destination is due to get a new attraction, however local surfers and environmental groups have claimed the project is a tourism initiative ‘disguised as sustainability’
Locals in Tenerife, Spain, have signed a manifesto opposing a new tourist attraction they claim is a tourism initiative “disguised as sustainability”.
Over 20 associations have signed a manifesto against the development of Spain’s new Underwater Garden in Tenerife, demanding that there is a change in approach and an immediate cancellation of the project. The locals have warned that the new park could have negative environmental, social and economic impacts and that “it’s a theme park disguised as marine regeneration”.
Underwater Garden is due to be a regenerative and sustainable park with both land-based and marine facilities, covering 42 acres across the island. Once complete, the park would include a bio lab, where visitors can learn about sea life, an underwater aquarium and an indoor diving centre.
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The firm behind the project said on its website: “Sea Gardens are ‘Underwater Gardens’ that respond in an intelligent and integrated way to the specific regeneration needs of a damaged ecosystem through Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER), a new generation of intelligent reefs that allow marine life to regenerate and increase local biodiversity.”
The campaigners have pointed out that similar developments in the Canary Islands have led to irreversible damage to landscapes and ecosystems. “Terms such as ‘sustainability’ or ‘regeneration’ are being used to mask the project’s speculative nature,” they argue, according to Canarian Weekly.
However, the development has been justified as a strategic initiative to recover tourism lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite numbers of visitors over the past three years surpassing pre-pandemic figures in the Canary Islands. Despite the ongoing controversy and debates over the project, its development remains on track.
According to a statement from the environmental groups and surf clubs, the project will attract thousands of additional tourists and increase boat traffic in the Special Conservation Zone (ZEC). They have also warned that the local community would become stressed as it would also be impacted by the indirect privatisation of the natural space in Punta Blanca — one of the last refuges on the island that isn’t overwhelmed by tourists.
“Placing a theme park in this area and restricting access would make it harder for residents to enjoy a vital space for their identity and well-being,” the group added.
The environmental groups also used examples from the Canary Islands, where marine ecosystem recovery through marine reserves has been achieved without increasing coastal human intervention. They added: “The biodiversity of the Canary coasts is fragile, and any intervention of this kind could have devastating consequences, especially in areas already under pressure from human activity.”
One of the campaigners’ main concerns is the potential impact on one of the Canary Islands’ most iconic waves, where social and sporting activities thrive. However, if the underwater infrastructure was implemented, it could alter the dynamics of the current and disrupt the wave formation, which would then affect both surfers and coastal ecosystems.
Underwater Gardens has been contacted for comment.
