Lanzarote Cabildo approve plan to tackle threat of Phylloxera

Lanzarote’s Cabildo and the island’s Wine Council have approved a road map to tackle the threat of phylloxera, following the discovery of the devastating pest in vineyards in Tenerife.

Phylloxera is an aphid-like pest that destroyed most of Europe’s vineyards after arriving from the Americas in the late 19^th century. As a result, almost all vines in Europe were grafted onto resistant rootstock. Canarian vines, however, still have their original rootstock.

Stricter controls at the ports and border inspection points is one of the main measures, while trained personnel will also assess vineyards in Lanzarote – especially abandoned ones, which are the source of all 18 cases discovered on Tenerife.

Oswaldo Betancort, the Cabildo’s President, appealed to winegrowers and the general public not to introduce plants from off the island, saying “Prevention is our best tool.”