Radio Sintonia:

The 17th edition of the Fuerteventura en Música festival arrives

The Cabildo finalizes the preparations for the Fuerteventura en Música 2023 festival, as well as the assembly of a stage of 300 square meters in which a dozen international, national and local artists will perform during the weekend of June 30 and July 1 on the beach of La Concha de El Cotillo, municipality of La Oliva.



Likewise, the main tent of 600 square meters and the peripheral structures have been installed, such as the market area, tents for bathrooms, security and emergency area, and a perimeter fence. The land is also being smoothed and cleaned with specific machinery to be able to begin with the assembly work of the infrastructure, and the installation of sound, lighting and video equipment has begun.

"The next edition of the WEF is going at a very good pace. We appreciate the cooperation of the municipality of La Oliva and the involvement of the different services of the Cabildo, especially the Culture Council, to make viable and organize in the best way this festival, which is committed to local artists, such as Tabaiba and Althay Páez, "said President Lloret.

"We encourage the entire population to come and enjoy not only music with an important poster, such as Bomba Estéreo and La Pegatina, but also the incomparable natural environment in which we find ourselves in this new edition of the FEM," said the first island councilor.

For his part, David Hernández Martín, Councilor for Culture of La Oliva, said that the city council collaborates and supports this festival, "which is already rooted in the majorera culture, to continue promoting the FEM, which is already a mark in the Calendar, both for the municipality, as for the neighbors and visitors of Fuerteventura ".



A first-class line-up
The group Bomba Estéreo will headline on the first day, with its rhythms of electronic music fused with rock, reggae, alternative reggaeton and rap with airs of the Colombian Caribbean, such as cumbia and champeta.

The program of the first day is completed by the electronic cumbia of the Mexican Institute of Sound, a project led by Camilo Lara, one of the most influential artists in the culture of that country, with a long career; as well as with the root music of Ara Queen of Drums from Nigeria; the Canarian-Venezuelan group Tabaiba, with its urban rhythms, and the timple of the majorero Althay Páez.

The second day will headline the Spaniards of La Pegatina, with rhythms ranging from merengue to rumba or ska to gypsy punk or hooligan chants, as well as the Canijo de Jerez, who between clapping and guitars will put the flamenco and rock note of the festival.

The programming of the second day is completed with the R&B of the Nigerian Ruth Mahogany; the Canarian Mel Ömana, with his rhythms of Cuban folklore and Latin rap, and the majoreros Saylén and Abora Reggae.

Likewise, this edition of the FEM includes a parallel program of activities organized by the Ministry of Culture together with the cultural association Cotillo Joven to energize the town of El Cotillo, which will take place on June 30, and July 1 and 2.

The program begins with a parade on Friday, June 30, at 19:00 p.m. from the Plaza de El Cotillo, and will continue throughout the weekend with musical workshops for all ages, children's environmental workshops and musical performances.

In collaboration with the City Council of La Oliva, the Cabildo will take the festival to this natural environment, which, as since its inception, will continue to have a vocation for environmental awareness and indie spirit.

Noticias:

Panic among the fishermen of Lanzarote before the possible return of the monk seal to Isla de Lobos.

The chain Ser anticipates that "the Fishermen's Association of Playa Blanca is alert to the possibility and rejects the reintroduction of this species on the Isla de Lobos"



NEWSROOMFUERTEVENTURA


According to Cadena Ser, the Ministry of Fisheries has in its hands a project to reintroduce the monk seal (Monachus monachus) on the island of Lobos, located between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, where in ancient times there were several colonies until it ended up disappearing from that place.



The monk seal is considered one of the most endangered species in the world and is that at present, its populations are distributed mostly between the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Mauritania, and Madeira.



On the islands they were a common species until the arrival of the European conquerors in the fourteenth century, when sea lions camped at ease on Isla de Lobos. The need for meat and fat of the new colonizers and the ease of hunting on land decimated the population quickly, and made them migrate to other areas of the continent, in this case in Cabo Blanco in Mauritania.



In the case of the Canary Islands, evidence has been found in different archaeological sites of the Archipelago that show that the monk seal was present on all the islands although when the Castilians arrived, there were only colonies on the island of Lobos until, with the passage of time, they ended up disappearing.



Now and to know the opinion of the sectors involved with the activity in the sea, the Ministry has already begun to ask among others to the fishermen to explain whether or not they agree on the return of this species to that area.



From the Fishermen's Association of Playa Blanca, in the south of Lanzarote, they are clear since their main patron, Cristo Caraballo, has come to ensure that the return of the seals would mean "ruin" for the sector. He adds that "it feeds on many kilos of fish a day."



Old recurring project



Although it has not transpired that it has changed in the position of the ministry, the truth is that there is talk of the reintroduction on the islands of this endangered species for more than 30 years through a life project of the European Union, a situation that has not occurred so far and that seems very complicated.



In this sense, the current situation of Isla de Lobos almost certainly prevents this species from settling due to the human pressure that the islet suffers every day.

Noticias:

Experts stunned by the new rise in the surface temperature of the North Atlantic.

The image impresses: the anomaly stands out in an exaggerated way compared to the rest of the globe, today in Gran Tarajal 24.2 degrees of sea surface temperature was measured



NEWSROOMFUERTEVENTURA


Meteorologists are still puzzled by the increase in the surface temperature of the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the entire northern strip of it, in which the Canary archipelago is fully embedded. In some places, the increase, according to British meteorologists, is four or five degrees Celsius above normal at this time of year.



Specialists are closely monitoring the situation. It is due, they explain, to a combination of factors: from climate change to less dust from the Sahara and ice from the Arctic, which reflects the sun's rays.



According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), some areas of the North Sea are experiencing a Category 4 marine heatwave, defined as "extreme." In some areas, the water temperature is up to 5 °C (9 °F) higher than usual.



The ocean is slow to warm and cool



"In some places, we're talking about seeing temperatures four or five degrees above what we would normally expect at this time of year," says Thomas Rippeth, a physical oceanographer at Bangor University. "The ocean is not like the atmosphere. It does not heat up or cool quickly. It takes a long time to warm up and a long time to cool down."



Rising temperatures affect the entire east coast of the North Atlantic, which can harm underwater life: warmer water, for example, distributes less oxygen to creatures in the deep and contributes fewer nutrients to the phytoplankton. In addition to giving rise to extreme heat phenomena.



Risks are high for marine species, such as fish, corals and seagrass beds, many of which have adapted to survive within certain temperature ranges. Warmer water can stress them out and even kill them.



Storms and hurricanes



"The ocean plays an absolutely key role," explains Rippeth. "About 95% of the energy transfer from solar to infrared radiation takes place at the ocean surface. And the distribution of this energy affects our Weather systems. If you warm the ocean too much, high temperatures cause the strongest storms. Hurricanes, for example, occur when water temperatures exceed 26 degrees."



In addition, El Niño



The British Meteorological Service warns that the temperature of the sea surface of the past April and May has been the highest recorded in those months in a series that began in 1850.



And that the eastern tropical Pacific will continue to warm due to the El Niño phenomenon. It is feared that new highs could be reached this year.

The case of the Canary Islands, the 24.2 degrees measured today in Gran Tarajal



The Canary archipelago is not spared from this situation, and the island of Fuerteventura sees how the water temperature is getting warmer. In this case last June the average surface temperature was up to 22.5 degrees which is what you would expect it to do in a very hot August. And it continues to rise during this month of July, with parameters that could break records this summer. For now today they measured 24.2 degrees in Gran Tarajal.



In addition, the lack of wind, produced by the unusual disappearance of the Azores anticyclone, continues to baffle meteorologists, while causing the system to continue warming. On the other hand, there are fears of the arrival of the hurricane season that under normal conditions feeds on the surface temperature of the sea.



What generates a hurricane? First the warm water of the tropical seas – at least 26 ºC. Several weeks after the sun has warmed the warm seas of the tropics and at the end of June for the northern hemisphere, the tropical ocean waters reach their warmest temperature.



At the moment the average sea temperature in Fuerteventura has reached 23 degrees, (with the peak of 24.2 in Gran Tarajal) when the average is usually 20.6. The trend indicates that it can rise 2 degrees in August, but at the moment and according to meteorologists we are in unknown territory. Reaching 25 degrees in August average sea temperature in Fuerteventura would be an unprecedented record on the island.

Cyclonic activity in July



As explained in his Twitter account JJ Alemán, physicist and doctor in meteorology of the AEMET, "due to the anomalies in the atmospheric circulation and the extraordinary warming of the Atlantic, this year is producing a strange cyclonic activity for the time. It is not yet time to see tropical cyclones derived from East African waves. It looks like August."

link to article for pics/maps

Noticias:

Fuerteventura, one of the 150 geological places of world interest.

Meeting of the Petrology, Geochemistry and Geochronology Commission of the Geological Society of Spain in Fuerteventura 2023


The Petrology, Geochemistry and Geochronology Commission of the Geological Society of Spain visited these days the island of Fuerteventura, one of the few places on the planet where you can see rocks that were on the seabed about 180 million years ago.



The Geological Society of Spain (SGE) is a non-profit scientific association that aims to promote, encourage and disseminate knowledge, progress and applications of Geology. At present, the SGE has about 1,000 members, mainly from universities, public research centers, secondary schools and private companies, both from our country and from other countries in Europe, America and Africa.



In this sense, the visit of this commission to Fuerteventura, the oldest island of the Canary Archipelago, lies in the fact that you can find the oldest rocks that are the cushioned lavas of the oceanic crust that have an age of about 180 million years and the oceanic sediments, "which are also part of the oceanic crust, located on the western coast of the island, they are between 174 and 84 million years old and were formed shortly after the separation of Africa and America.

 

Divulge about geology



The work of the dissemination commission of the SGE is to bring society closer to the complexity of the processes and terms related to Geology and Earth Sciences using a simple and close language that may be interesting for all kinds of audiences.



It is about sharing a new way of transmitting with the world our way of understanding and reading what the rocks tell us.



"Geologists appreciate life in millions of years, we have been waiting some time to consolidate, precipitate, sediment, extrude, solidify, erode... but here we are: the time has come for Geology and Earth Sciences to become protagonists," they say on the SGE website.



In this sense Fuerteventura is a great reference, since this island is one of the 150 places of world geological interest defined by the International Geological Union. It is the oldest island of the Canary Archipelago. In this sense it is not common to find volcanic islands so old worldwide.

Radio Sintonia:

The Caldera de Gairía, natural monument and "nest" of several birds of special interest.

The Natural Monument of La Caldera de Gairía is located on the island of Fuerteventura, in the municipalities of Antigua and Tuineje, covers an area of 240'9 hectares.





The Natural Monument of Caldera de Garía has several aspects that make its protection important. The landscape value of this structure stands out for being located in a fairly flat area where it attracts attention for its 461 m high. Inside the Caldera there are vestiges of livestock and agricultural uses that existed within it, which indicates the important use of land that took place at certain times. Important environmental values are the existence of sweet tabaibales that are scarce on the island and in terms of fauna it stands out for being a nesting area for birds of great interest.

Birds of the area
In the caldera nest raptors such as the marlin (Buteo buteo), the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and even the endangered majorero guirre (Neophron percnopterus majorensis) and the barn owl (Tyto alba).

Among the steppe birds, the curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus insularum) and the sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis orientalis).

Passerines such as the hoopoe (Upupa epops), the marsh terrera (Calandrella rufescens polatzeki), the pipit (Anthus berthelotii berthelotii), the trumpeter bullfinch (Bucanetes githagineus amantum), the crow (corvus corax canariensis) and the endemic Canarian stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae dacotiae) are also present.

A natural area
Declared by Law 12/1987, of June 19, on the declaration of Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands, as a Natural Site of National Interest of La Caldera de Gairía, and reclassified to its current category by Law 12/1994, of December 19, on Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands. Maintaining this classification in Legislative Decree 1/2000 approving the Consolidated Text of the Laws on Territorial Planning of the Canary Islands and Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands.

Source: Cabildo de Fuerteventura

Hey folks,

Quick question - what are the rules surrounding burning garden was and mini bonfires? Just that someone across the road in an empty house has started burning weeds etc.

I have posted out to them that there is a Punto Limpio in the village!

TIA.

Noticias:

Improvements on the road to Cofete.

This optimization of rural roads is also carried out in the face of the summer season 2023 and the Fiestas de San Juan


The Cabildo de Fuerteventura, through the Works and Machinery Area, has carried out the improvement works of the road to Cofete to guarantee conditions of greater road safety for the neighbors and tourists who visit the town and the beaches during the summer season of 2023.



Specifically, the rural roads of this town have been adapted and improved so that visitors have greater safety and comfort when traveling through it.



Also, through these roads will run the mass procession in honor of San Juan, which will take place within the framework of the celebrations of the town's festivities in honor of this patron, from June 16 to 18. In addition, the pilgrimage will be held in honor of Javier Benítez, presided over by the traditional Cofete truck, which serves as the header and transfer vehicle to the saint.



In the face of the celebrations, the access roads to Cofete beach have also been conditioned, so that neighbors and tourists can enjoy the summer and this festivity in optimal conditions.



For his part, the president of the Cabildo, Sergio Lloret, has sent the best wishes for a magnificent development of the Patron Saint Festivities of Cofete 2023, and thanked the work of the Road Service, which has "worked so that these parties take place with the greatest guarantees of safety and comfort".

Radio Sintonia:

More than 560,000 euros for the cleaning and conditioning of green areas in Costa Calma.

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura continues to work on the cleaning and conditioning of green areas of Cañada del Río, within the framework of the Cooperation Plan of the Cabildo with the municipalities of the island, in this case, with the City Council of Pájara. These actions will improve the natural environment, giving residents and visitors a more pleasant and cared for place.



Cleaning and conditioning of green areas
The president of the insular institution, Sergio Lloret, visited this environment together with the mayor of Pájara, Pedro Armas, and representatives of GESPLAN, the company in charge of carrying out this project, which has an award budget of 565,000 euros.

The actions that are being carried out include various tasks of cleaning, clearing, pruning and felling of palm trees, as well as phytosanitary treatments, floral conditioning of flowerbeds, replacement of boundary fencing, irrigation maintenance, repair of walls and pavements, and waste collection.

These measures will contribute to preserving the characteristic ecosystems of Fuerteventura through the cleaning and recovery of vegetation cover, the pruning of dry leaves and the implementation of sanitation measures to prevent the spread of possible pests.

The president of the Cabildo, Sergio Lloret, stressed that "the improvement and conditioning works are progressing at a good pace in order to have this space in the best possible conditions for its use, thus guaranteeing citizen security".

For his part, the mayor of Pájara thanked the Cabildo "for its commitment to the municipality" and highlighted the great work done by Gesplan that "has advanced considerably being able to appreciate the improvement works in the lower part".

The Cabildo de Fuerteventura is proud to collaborate closely with the City Council of Pájara in the improvement of these green areas, which are an essential part of the natural heritage of the island. These actions demonstrate the commitment of both institutions in the conservation of the environment and in the care of public spaces.

Radio Sintonia:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to fight against pollution at sea.

Salvamento Marítimo will carry out the pilot test of its new intelligent system for its operations, developed in the iSAR project (Integral Program of Innovation in Maritime Rescue), in its units and coordination centers of the Canary Islands in the final weeks of June. The announcement and presentation of the system in the islands was made today at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas. The event was attended by the Government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, the deputy director general of safety, pollution and maritime inspection of the Merchant Marine, Ana Núñez and the director of Maritime Rescue, José Luis García Lena.



AI to improve rescue services
This test will be carried out after having incorporated "artificial intelligence" in several of its units on the islands to test new technologies and incorporate them, after analysis, in the rest of the units of the islands and throughout Spain.

The iSAR project, developed in a record time of 14 months, aims to improve the performance, effectiveness and efficiency of rescue services through innovation in the performance and capabilities of maritime, air units and coordination centers.

To achieve these objectives that will be tested in the Canary Islands, Maritime Rescue incorporates unmanned aircraft, new platforms and intelligent sensors capable of detecting shipwrecked people automatically in adverse Weather conditions, even at night; a high-capacity satellite communications system and a digital communications network connecting units deployed at sea.

It will also be possible to monitor toxic and hazardous atmospheres, air emissions from ships and pollution on the sea surface. These systems must operate within an emergency as an information network that allows information to be shared in real time.

Specifically, the new capabilities have been modified and incorporated into the Salvamar Macondo and the Guardamar Calíope, the Helimer 202, the Sasemar 103 aircraft, the coordination centers with the command and control stations (Santa Cruz, Las Palmas and Madrid) and 3 vessels connected to low orbit satellites (Salvamares Al Nair, Alpheratz and Mizar). Two drones will also be used.

iSAR is more Maritime Rescue.
It is a project that allows to help not only people, but also the planet within the context of climate change. This project optimizes the detection and rescue of shipwrecked people, the location and recovery of drifting objects that may pose a risk to navigation. But it also facilitates the identification of spills of hydrocarbons and other polluting substances on the surface of the sea and activates the
detection of harmful and dangerous atmospheres.

iSAR is a pioneering international project.
It will position itself as an international benchmark in the development and application of new technologies for search, rescue and the fight against pollution on the high seas.

iSAR is cutting-edge technology.
With this innovative project, Salvamento Marítimo will arrive sooner to lend you a hand if you are in danger at sea. This will reduce uncertainty and anguish for those rescued and their families.

The results of this technological deployment will be seen soon thanks to the tests that will be carried out in the Canary Islands. As soon as the iSAR project becomes operational, the time it takes to search for castaways will be significantly reduced. It will also increase the capacity to detect pollutants at sea and facilitate communication between the different units involved in an emergency.

The iSAR project, with a total budget of more than 20 million euros, has been co-financed by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and 85% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through a grant granted to the Ministry of Science and Innovation of more than 17 million euros.

Radio Sintonia:

Cardón Mountain, a Natural Monument with a fragile landscape.

The Natural Monument of Montaña de Cardón stands out for its shape, and for the impressive height in a "flat" territory such as the island of Fuerteventura. It is not the highest of the island but its situation influences this landscape quality that in certain points is seriously affected by human activity.

Important are also the plant communities found in this Protected Natural Area, and the species with special protection, both flora and fauna, which are located in the high areas and slopes.



A landscape little contrasted
In general, the landscape formed by the Natural Monument of Montaña Cardón is little contrasted in terms of color and texture (few surface variations). However, it is necessary to consider the high areas of the ENP as sensitive to the extent that the topography of the island of Fuerteventura does not mask the impressive actions that may occur in the geomorphological elements that reach a considerable height. The formation of Montaña Cardón, one of the highest on the island, is visible in a very different way from the different visual corridors, which is why the fragility of the landscape that it forms is variable.

It is a landscape that in some areas is quite anthropized. There are areas with buildings (although this is contradictory to the definition of Natural Monument), areas that have been used for crops, livestock areas and even pilgrimage areas.

The Natural Monument can be divided into 4 landscape units (areas of homogeneous visual response, both in their landscape components and in their visual response to possible actions). Each of them is described below, which are also included in the cartography.

Anthropized landscape. Impaired visual quality
Formed by the lowest levels of the eastern edge. The main landscape condition is the abandoned greenhouses, which have not been uninstalled. Nor have their plastics or meshes, nor other related materials been removed, and the strong wind prevailing in the area has been dragging them, causing "dumping points". The existing houses are in different states of conservation. Only some of them are abandoned and deteriorated externally.

Each of these houses, greenhouses or plots of cultivation (abandoned almost entirely) are communicated with the road by access tracks that currently attract visitors, causing visual affection, and opening new roads.

This area, particularly the one located further north, has a high potential as an emitter of views, since from it it is possible to observe with a unique perspective the summits of Montaña Cardón.

From the landscape point of view, it should be noted that this unit is bordered in part by the FV-618 road that is moderately used by visitors, which is why any element perceptible from this track must be subject to conservation, as far as its appearance is concerned.

The area receives the views from the highest part of the FV-618, point from which this area is best appreciated. His vision from there is that of a humanized landscape with symptoms of abandonment.

Cardon knives
They make up the most relevant image of the Protected Natural Area. They are receivers of views from numerous visual corridors and from different perspectives although those coming from the West, from the FV-605 road that leads to Pájara, stand out.

Its importance lies in the beauty of its geomorphological forms and the grandeur of its height on an island as flat as Fuerteventura. However, this last factor is attenuated by its proximity to the Betancuria massif.

It also has great importance as an emitter of views since due to its height it creates an important visual basin. It is also a high but accessible area, because the pilgrims of the Virgen del Tanquito arrive at the watchtower of El Castillo.

Western middle slopes
This unit is of a somewhat lower quality than the previous one since both the views it emits and those it receives do not present such a pronounced singularity. The quality is conferred by the scenic background of the high areas of the mountain. The Barranco de Chilegua is a landscape element of relevance, but only in a potential way, since at present it appears totally dry, making the existing reservoirs in the area remain as merely testimonial elements.

It is a less anthropized area than the eastern slopes, at least as far as housing construction is concerned; however, the panoramic view from the East is more attractive because it is a greater slope. From the West, the softness of the slopes transmits a sense of remoteness to the Cardón knives that detracts from its visual value.

Degraded southern slope.
The landscape of this area is far from being perceived as a natural landscape, from a "green" space.

On the contrary, the view we get from it, is damaged by the existence of buildings not integrated landscaping and with inappropriate ornamental vegetation. In addition there are installations of water pipes perfectly visible from the road that have been placed in the area without following a logical criterion, and that negatively affect the landscape.

The visual basin from the road that limits this unit is quite closed towards the interior of Cardón. To the south, outside the ENP is somewhat wider.

Fountain: Government of the Canary Islands Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning/ Vice-Ministry of Territorial Planning/ General Directorate of Territorial Planning.

link to article for spectacular pic