The Granadilla de Abona Council, in the south of Tenerife, decided not to have a municipal fireworks display on the night of New Year's Eve and opted for a light show that was projected on the main façade of the Médano hotel instead.
They have since given their reason as being to improve the care and welfare of children who have autism spectrum disorders and animals, which suffer the effects of the noise caused by these celebrations.
In a statement, they also announced that they will also limit the future use of pyrotechnics in respect for the environment, as, usually, these festivals leave a significant trail of rubbish, as happened in September with the remains of rockets and firecrackers abandoned on the coast of El Médano, according to local residents and the animal rights group Pacma.
The mayor of Granadilla, Jennifer Miranda, stated: “It is not an easy issue to regulate, because it is a very deep-rooted practice that is difficult to control, but we intend that, in events organised by the City Council directly, the use of fireworks is minimised. We shall continue to look for alternatives such as light projections or drones working hand in hand with the festival commissions.”
"We are aware - and it is an issue to which we must be sensitive - of what children with autism spectrum disorders or animals suffer, in addition to the waste that is left strewn in different areas," she emphasised.
The debate about the use of fireworks during fiestas and celebrations is not new. In three weeks, Pacma managed to collect more than 17,500 signatures by hand to request the regulation of fireworks in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The same group made a plea in December, before the Christmas holidays, to all city councils throughout Spain to adopt various measures that would not allow the use of fireworks at Christmas because "it negatively affects animals, special needs children, the elderly, and people with disabilities."
