“The silence from institutions and associations regarding the announcement of this new link with Africa reveals a double standard in how the connection between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario was handled.”
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<i class="fa fa-file-text-o" /> Redacción NoticiasFuerteventura</li></p>
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The **Asamblea Majorera–Coalición Canaria Fuerteventura** has highlighted a "double standard" and the incoherence of the Port Authority of Las Palmas in promoting a new maritime link between Agadir and Gran Canaria. Critics argue that many associations and entities that opposed the maritime line between Puerto del Rosario and Tarfaya are now silent regarding this new route connecting Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with Morocco.
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Beatriz Calzada, president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, announced this new maritime connection during a recent visit from a delegation of the Port of Agadir. The aim is to establish a direct line with this Moroccan city, substantially reducing delivery times for goods from Morocco by approximately one and a half days.
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AM-CC emphasizes that organizations like ASAGA and COAG Canarias, along with governmental institutions such as the Gran Canaria Cabildo and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Canary Islands, previously condemned the reopening of the Puerto del Rosario–Tarfaya route. These entities are now silent about the potential launch of a route connecting the Port of Agadir with La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
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According to AM-CC, these associations claimed that having a shipping route connecting Fuerteventura with mainland Africa would pose an irreversible risk to the primary sector in the Canary Islands. Now, however, the announcement of the Agadir connection has not triggered any alerts from the agricultural sector regarding the risks of pest introductions or concerns over competition from Moroccan agricultural products.
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“The silence following the announcement of the new link between Gran Canaria and Morocco illustrates the double standard applied to the connection between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario,” comments representatives from the insular executive of the party. They further allege that AM-CC had warned that the criticism surrounding the earlier route stemmed from the interests of intermediaries eager to promote lines toward Gran Canaria.
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“No farmers' associations, animal feed importers, livestock breeders, or administrative technicians have spoken against this new line, as they did regarding the one between Fuerteventura and Tarfaya. This clearly shows that the opposition to the previous route was driven more by economic interests and business benefits, rather than genuine concerns for the islands’ sectors,” underline the nationalists.
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AM-CC has raised questions regarding the seeming absence of risks surrounding the new Agadir connection. “Do the concerns about pest and disease propagation magically vanish when shifting from the Puerto del Rosario dock to one in Gran Canaria? Can the pests and diseases, whether phytosanitary or epizootic, not enter through the Port of La Luz?” they have asserted.
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For the political group, there is an evident imbalance in how different islands are treated concerning these connections. They recall that when the line between Tarfaya and Puerto del Rosario was being promoted, there was extensive opposition, accompanied by significant social and political pressure, which ultimately led to the route's blockade. **“Now, however, this new line between Agadir and Las Palmas is presented not as a risk but as a strategic opportunity,” they criticize.**
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The Asamblea Majorera – Coalición Canaria Fuerteventura argues that such actions set a dangerous precedent, perpetuating a two-speed Canarias that intensifies double and even triple insularity. This model continues to perpetuate imbalances between islands and restricts development and influence for non-capital islands.
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Lastly, they point out that reopening the maritime route between Fuerteventura and Tarfaya—a connection that previously linked the continent with the island—would be accompanied by enhancements to the **Point of Border Inspection (PIF)** to prevent the entry of any potentially harmful pests or pathogens.
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The party representatives also highlight that, with the support of the president of the Canary Islands government, the Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the City Council of Puerto del Rosario had proposed including the Puerto del Rosario–Tarfaya line in the Port Authority's strategic plan for 2035. “Unfortunately, this initiative appears to have been sidelined in favor of the Agadir line,” they conclude.
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