The building, ceded by the City of Tazacorte to PLOCAN, shows a significant advance in the rehabilitation work for its conversion into the Observatory of Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy (BECOMAR), called “Rogelio Herrera”. During the visit, in which the island director of the General Administration of the State in La Palma, Carlos García, also participated, it was possible to observe the pace of execution of a scientific infrastructure called to play a key role in the economic diversification of the island.

The project is coordinated by PLOCAN through the DELTA project, financed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands and by the Secretary of State for the Environment of the Government of Spain, and through which the financing of the scientific equipment of the center is assumed, as well as the adaptation and supply of the facilities, currently completed in its entirety according to the progress of the civil work.

Izquierdo stressed that “this observatory represents a clear example of how reconstruction is not only about recovering what has been lost, but also generating new opportunities for the future for La Palma”. He also stressed that “the blue economy is a strategic vector to diversify the island’s productive fabric, generate qualified employment and position the island as a reference in marine research and sustainability.” He also stressed that “the extension approved in the Royal Decree-Law demonstrates the institutional recognition of the scientific and socio-economic value of this initiative for the island.”