Lanzarote's council has strengthened territorial surveillance with a 22% increase in sanctioning cases in 2025 compared to the previous year. Agents have already processed 130 complaints in 2026, with fines of up to 4,500 euros.
The Environmental Agents Unit of Lanzarote has processed 130 new complaints so far in 2026, demonstrating the intensified control that the council applies over the island's territory. The corporation increased sanctioning cases from 250 in 2024 to 305 in 2025, a 22% increase that reflects the tightening of environmental policy.
Change in trend regarding violations: vehicles dominate the complaints
Official data reveals a significant shift in the types of sanctions. While in 2025 illegal urban development on rustic land led the statistics with 32.1% of the cases, in 2026 vehicle-related behaviours —illegal parking and off-road driving— have become the primary cause of sanction, accounting for 40.8% of the detected violations.
The Minister of Environment and Biosphere Reserve, Samuel Martín, explained that this pressure is particularly evident in the rise of tourist buggy excursions on rustic land. “These vehicles are prohibited from circulating in protected natural areas on unpaved roads,” Martín reminded. The firmness of the agents recently resulted in a serious administrative fine of 4,500 euros imposed on an active tourism company in the Natural Monument of Los Ajaches.
In collaboration with the Seprona of the Civil Guard, another case was initiated against a caravan of six buggies in the Barranco de Las Piletas, in Guatiza, for transiting without authorization through a critical area for the reproduction of endemic bird species at risk of extinction, directly affecting the habitats of the guirre, the majorero kestrel, and the majorero owl.
Martín warned that the council is “already studying the legal feasibility of prohibiting these excursions for environmental reasons and for the damage they cause to the traditional agricultural sector by suffocating the plants.”
Extreme surveillance in the island's protected areas
The sanctioning rigor has intensified at the most fragile points of Lanzarote. In the Natural Park of Los Volcanes, fines of 1,800 euros for illegal ascents to fully protected craters such as Pico Partido, the Volcán del Cuervo, or the Montaña de El Golfo have been executed, in addition to fines of up to 360 euros for parking outside authorized areas.
In La Geria, the use of drones without authorization has resulted in fines ranging from 360 to 600 euros, highlighting a proposed fine of 3,001 euros for an offender who skied down a protected mountain. Meanwhile, the Natural Park of the Chinijo Archipelago concentrates fines of 150 euros for illegal camping on the Playa de Bajo Risco, fines of 90 euros for making fires, and fines of up to 900 euros for cycling outside designated paths.
In the La Corona Reserve, special devices against unauthorized access to the Jameo de la Puerta Falsa have accumulated multiple individual fines of 120 euros.
Doubling the number of agents and updating territorial planning
The president of the council, Oswaldo Betancort, emphasized that “the commitment to the sustainability of the Biosphere Reserve is unbreakable.” He highlighted that they have managed to permanently double the staff of the Environmental Agents Unit, which currently has ten active professionals. “Ensuring the conservation of biodiversity is an absolute political priority, achieved through the real increase of surveillance resources and awareness on the ground, in addition to reinforcing sanctions,” he stressed.
Martín recalled that when they came to the island government, they found an Island Territorial Planning Plan from 1991, “manifestly obsolete and unable to respond to current challenges.” Furthermore, the well-known Ezquiaga Plan, which cost over 600,000 euros and gathered broad social consensus, was “literally thrown in the trash in the last legislature.”
“Territorial regulations are not just simple administrative documents: they are basic tools to protect the territory, regulate uses, and ensure that the development of Lanzarote and La Graciosa combines the conservation of our heritage with the quality of life of those who live here,” concluded the minister.
For residents and tourists, the recommendation is clear: respect the marked paths, do not park outside the designated areas, and avoid using drones in protected spaces without permission. The council plans to maintain and even intensify controls during the high season, with special attention to buggy excursions and access to craters.
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