SPAIN: Sailing the island shore to detect environmental threats

From 11 of September to 13 of October, around 200 volunteers have been daily sailing the island shore to detect environmental threats in the framework of an environmental programme called Monachus which is aimed at civic awareness-raising. Monachus is the name of a yacht which the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria offered to two Canarian NGOs for them to invite local people to better know the richness of coastal areas and the dangers they are exposed to. Before each one-day journey, participants were delivered a training course. Organisers of this initiative claim to have achieved that it was opened to people from very varied backgrounds. The participation of teachers was, however, particularly valuable as they will be able to disseminate the lessons learnt in their classrooms. In three weeks participants have withdrawn around 100 kilos of fishing nets adrift, although such action was not planned. These fishing nets, as well as plastic bags, are responsible for the death of an increasing number of turtles. Participants have also been impressed by the enormous variety of animal life in the area but also by its alarming fragility. The Monachus project claims for a greater number of governmental measures as the creation of a sea reserve but insists that everyone has its own degree of responsibility. www.fundacionglobalnature.org