Puerto del Rosario seeks guarantees over Canary Islands-mainland sea links
1. Key points
Puerto del Rosario town council has written to the Ministry of Transport, the Merchant Navy authority and Fuerteventura's senator.
At stake is the upcoming tender for the maritime Public Service Obligation (PSO) between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
The council calls for real and effective integration of all the islands, without territorial imbalances.
The port of Puerto del Rosario has surpassed 1.5 million tonnes of goods per year.
Mayor David de Vera describes the sea link as a strategic issue for the island.
2. The news in detail
Puerto del Rosario town council has formally conveyed to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Directorate-General for the Merchant Navy and Fuerteventura's senator its concern over the upcoming renewal of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract governing the sea link between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
Through a series of institutional communications, the council has asked that the future design of the service guarantee real and effective integration of all the islands, avoiding territorial imbalances that could harm Fuerteventura's connectivity, supply chains and economic development.
The municipality points out that the port of Puerto del Rosario has surpassed one and a half million tonnes of goods per year and continues on a positive trajectory that reflects its growing weight within the Canary Islands' logistics network. For that reason, the local government argues, the new tender must recognise this reality and guarantee the capital port's presence and operations within the routes of general interest.
Mayor David de Vera warns that the decisions taken in this new tender will affect the islands' competitiveness for years to come, and that Fuerteventura cannot be sidelined in an overly centralised model that ignores the territory's economic and logistical evolution. The municipal corporation believes the future maritime PSO should become a tool to strengthen territorial cohesion, guarantee equal opportunities between the islands and secure connectivity conditions that match the real needs of residents and the island's economy, and says it will continue the institutional work needed to defend Fuerteventura's interests.
3. Voices and statements
“The sea link between the Canary Islands and the mainland is a strategic matter for the present and future of our island. We are not talking only about passenger transport, but about essential infrastructure to guarantee the supply of goods, economic activity and the territorial cohesion of the archipelago,” stresses the mayor of Puerto del Rosario, David de Vera.
4. Context and background
The move comes ahead of the new state tender for the maritime Public Service Obligation between the Canary Islands and mainland Spain, the regime that guarantees regular passenger and freight connections with the continent. The port of Puerto del Rosario, on Fuerteventura's east coast, is the island's main commercial harbour and has consolidated itself in recent years as a growing logistics node within the Canary port system.
5. What it means for Fuerteventura
For an island that imports much of what it consumes by sea — from everyday goods to materials for construction and tourism — the design of the future maritime PSO is no abstract matter: it affects prices, supply times and the competitiveness of the local economy. The role of the capital's port is therefore decisive for the whole of Fuerteventura.
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