Canaries get approval for new ferry and boat services

Canaries get approval for new ferry and boat services
By TenerifeNews

Spain has approved, at the request of the Canary Islands Government, the transportation of passengers by ferry from the peninsula. The Official State Gazette today publishes the Ministerial Order in which, in addition, nautical tourism vessels are allowed to navigate with the limitation of not leaving the base island and with 50% of the occupation of the ships. This travel had been paralysed since the entry into force of the mobility restrictions approved in mid-March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus or COVID-19 in the Canary Islands. The Ministerial Order, signed by the Minister of Health Salvador Illa, announces the restoration of the provision of maritime service between the peninsula and the archipelago, which authorises the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and vehicles on the Canarian ports that connect the maritime lines of both territories. This Ministerial Order, which is valid during phases 2 and 3 of the de-escalation, authorises these transfers as long as the passengers comply with the circulation assumptions set forth in article 7.1 of Royal Decree 463/2020 (labour, health reasons, return to the place of origin or force majeure), and submit a responsible declaration before boarding. With this Order it will no longer be necessary, as was the case until now, to request a special authorisation from the Government Delegation in the Canary Islands to travel as a passenger on ferries between the peninsula and the islands. This Ministerial Order published today also regulates the activity of nautical tourism companies, at the request of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, to establish in the Archipelago a 50% limitation on the occupation of ships or boats that carry out this activity. In addition, tourist transport boats are only allowed to navigate and anchor in the waters adjacent to the territorial unit of reference, in the case of the Canary Islands, to the island where it has its base port. The Ministerial Order also states that recreational navigation is allowed although with different requirements depending on the phase in which each island is. In this way, the islands that still remain in Phase 2, recreational navigation is allowed to people who are on the same island where the boat is moored, and a number of people who exceed 75% of the people authorised in the certificates of the boat, except in the case of people who live at the same address in which case one hundred percent may be reached, provided that in both cases the number of people on board the boat or ship does not exceed ten. Also for the islands in Phase 2, it will be possible to rent, including in nautical leasing, boats or pleasure boats, jet skis and nautical recreational devices, by people who are on the same island where the rental companies are located. . These activities that are allowed in Phase 2 are limited to navigation in the waters adjacent to the island where the base port of the boat is, so they will not be able to move from one island to another. These limitations disappear in those islands that are already in phase 3 (La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa) where all recreational nautical activities are allowed, with no limitations other than those that generally govern, such as those of a character nature. territorial and the adoption of preventive sanitary measures. In all the activities planned for Phase 3, in which it is expected that among the entire Archipelago next Monday, June 8, disinfection measures and reinforcement of health and hygiene standards must be adopted in pleasure boats and vessels, motorcycles nautical and recreational nautical artifacts.

June 3, 2020 at 12:23AM
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