The 4th Environmental Technical Conference examines the situation of the Kentish plover and the Canary Islands stonechat, bird monitoring through the VIGIA Network, and the importance of environmental outreach
The Cabildo de Fuerteventura held its 4th Environmental Technical Conference on Tuesday, dedicated to the conservation of the island’s birdlife, bringing together specialists, researchers and professionals in a programme designed to share knowledge and experience on the status of the island’s bird species and the main challenges involved in protecting them.
The conference, held at the Palacio de Formación y Congresos de Fuerteventura, was organised by the Department of the Environment (Consejería de Medio Ambiente) as part of the 2026 Programme of Environmental Courses, Conferences and Talks. The opening session featured addresses by the environment councillor, Carlos Rodríguez, and the island director for Ecological Transition, Environmental Sustainability and the Biosphere Reserve, José Domingo Fernández.
Carlos Rodríguez, the councillor responsible for the area, stressed the importance of understanding the island’s biodiversity in order to safeguard it, noting that “knowing what we have around us is essential to protect our natural wealth and ensure it endures over time”.
The Kentish plover and the Canary Islands stonechat take centre stage
The event opened with the talk ‘The Kentish plover in Fuerteventura: situation, monitoring and conservation challenges’, delivered by Gustavo Tejera, Senior Technician in Environmental Education and Control and ornithologist. The expert highlighted the urgent need for action given the species’ current situation, explaining that “the Kentish plover is an emblematic species whose populations are in decline, which is why it is essential to understand its biology and adopt measures for its conservation”.
Next, Juan Carlos Illera, a scientific researcher at the Spanish National Research Council’s Mixed Research Institute in Biodiversity (IMIB-CSIC), addressed the evolution of the Canary Islands stonechat in his talk ‘Are we losing the Canary Islands stonechat? 20 years of decline and a challenge ahead’.
The programme continued with the talk ‘The VIGIA Network and the status of bird species in Fuerteventura’, given by Miguel Ángel Cabrera, a technician with the Government of the Canary Islands. This session offered an in-depth look at bird population monitoring and the importance of having reliable data to assess their status and guide conservation measures.
Environmental outreach as a conservation tool
The conference also featured the presentation and screening of the documentary ‘Fuerteventura, un desierto lleno de vida’ (‘Fuerteventura, a desert full of life’), by nature filmmaker Pedro Felipe Acosta. His documentary work focuses on raising awareness of the Canary Islands’ biodiversity and fostering interest in the conservation of the archipelago’s wildlife.
The programme closed with a round-table discussion entitled ‘Birdlife in Fuerteventura: conservation, monitoring and awareness-raising’, moderated by José Domingo Fernández Herrera, island director of the Cabildo’s Department of Economic Development, Ecological Transition, Environmental Sustainability and the Biosphere Reserve. It featured contributions from Gustavo Tejera, Juan Carlos Illera, Miguel Ángel Cabrera and Pedro Felipe Acosta, who shared their perspectives from their respective fields of work.
With this fourth edition, the Cabildo de Fuerteventura reaffirms its commitment to training, knowledge-sharing and environmental awareness as tools for advancing the protection of the island’s biodiversity and encouraging greater public involvement in safeguarding its natural heritage.
