Canarian Universities Minister demands an oceanographic vessel

The Canarian Minister for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, Migdalia Machín, has demanded that the Canaries have an oceanographic vessel for permanent use. She claims the lack of such a facility affects research and limits academic training in marine sciences.

“Having an oceanographic vessel is not just a technical issue, but a necessity to guarantee our scientific sovereignty. The Canary Islands must be able to manage their marine resources autonomously and continue to lead research in this field,” said Machín, who pointed out that the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) is forced to hire private vessels with limited services.

 “The delay in the allocation of ship time puts at risk the most important series of oceanographic data in Spain and weakens the presence of the Canary Islands in international research networks,” she warned.