Canary Islands protests at Financial Times investigation

The Canary Islands government has complained to the British government about this week's Financial Times story headlined Lanzarote faces losing its eco status.

The paper reported that the island, a major tourist destination, could lose its Unesco biosphere reserve classification "because of illegal overdevelopment of coastal areas."

Unesco's review followed a joint investigation by the FT and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism into the use of European Union funds to fuel a building boom on land earmarked as environmentally sensitive.

The article claimed that several hotels had been built illegally, partly due to "lax municipal authorities" approving the developments.

In response, the Canary Islands government has made an official complaint to the British government for "irreparable damage done to the island of Lanzarote" by the FT report.

The president of the cabildo, Pedro San Ginés, said the FT reports were "tremendously unjust" and that a letter had been sent to the paper demanding an apology.

An FT spokesman said the paper stands by its story.

Source: Typically Spanish

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