This scientific study will allow for a deeper understanding of the evolution of the space and will guide future management and control strategies, especially after the passage of Storm Therese.
The initial results highlight the scarce presence of tilapia, an invasive species, and an increase in local species such as mullet, seabream, lebranchos, and sea bass, among others.
The Gran Canaria Island Council has incorporated the traditional fishing method of the chinchorro as a new scientific sampling method in the Maspalomas Pond, with the aim of improving knowledge of the ecosystem and monitoring species, especially invasive ones, such as tilapia.
This line of work has been developed since October 2025 within the framework of the #AtodaCosta commission, through the agreement between the Ecoaqua University Institute - ULPGC and Gesplan aimed at the biological and environmental characterization of the coastal lagoon and the conservation of protected natural spaces on the island's coast.
The use of seine nets in this context is authorized only on an exceptional basis and exclusively for scientific research purposes, as it is not permitted for fishing due to its low selectivity. Its use began in an experimental phase in February 2026 and has subsequently been optimized to improve sampling efficiency and the quality of information on the pond's biological community.
The Minister of Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge, Raúl García Brink, attended one of the tests carried out with this technique on Monday and highlighted that it is "a monitoring that takes on special relevance after the passage of Storm Therese, since it will allow monitoring the evolution of the pond by comparing the previous and subsequent data of the ecosystem."
He also added that, “compared to traps, it allows you to obtain more information with each cast by capturing a greater number of specimens.”
An ecosystem in transformation
The practice of using a chinchorro net involves dragging a large net from a boat to the shore, forming a semicircle that encloses the fish. The entire process is manual and without motors, culminating in the collective effort of hauling the net in from the shore until the catch is brought ashore.
Among the study's findings, the dominant presence of the native mullet stands out. Other species recorded include seabream, gilthead seabream, mullet, crabs, a type of shrimp, and, prior to the storm, mullet specimens up to 50 centimeters long, which raises questions about their potential adaptation and long-term coexistence with tilapia.
In the first application of the seine net, 1.929 individuals were captured in a single cast, while between October 2025 and January 2026, 5.428 specimens were counted using different tracking methods.
In the sampling carried out today, the results were as follows: 1.327 mullet, 705 sea bream, 38 tilapia, 18 sea bass, 1 lebrancho, in addition to the presence of crabs, 1 shrimp and 15 sea slugs.
Scientists point out that the system is in the midst of a phase of ecological readjustment and that significant uncertainty remains regarding its evolution, as the observed changes could be a direct result of the storm's impact or the beginning of a new, stable dynamic. In this respect, they emphasize that the Maspalomas Lagoon remains an ecosystem in transformation, whose medium-term behavior is still an unknown.
This study, which has the collaboration of the San Cristóbal fishermen's cooperative, will allow for a deeper understanding of its evolution and guide future management and control strategies, with special attention to invasive species.
