Shepherds in Gran Canaria Seek Aid for Transhumance in Unesco Territory

A total of 14 applications have been submitted to the Insular Institute for the Integrated Management of World Heritage and the Biosphere Reserve to support this ancestral activity.

Image of a shepherd's staff leaning against a stone wall in Gran Canaria, with a volcanic landscape in the background.
IA

Image of a shepherd's staff leaning against a stone wall in Gran Canaria, with a volcanic landscape in the background.

The Cabildo de Gran Canaria, through the Insular Institute for the Integrated Management of World Heritage and the Biosphere Reserve, has received 14 applications from shepherds seeking aid to protect and promote on-foot transhumance on the island.

These subsidies aim to preserve the practice of transhumance, considered an intangible asset of Gran Canaria's cultural heritage. The initiative seeks to prevent the disappearance of this tradition, highlighting its historical and ecological importance in the territory.
Beneficiaries of these grants must be owners of livestock farms with a minimum of 40 animals and practice transhumance for at least one accumulated month, whether in one or several displacements. These requirements ensure that support is directed to those actively maintaining this work.
The total economic allocation for these aids amounts to 30,000 euros. Each individual grant starts at a minimum of 1,000 euros, with the possibility of increasing. An additional 500 euros is granted for proven continuity in transhumant activity over the last three years, and another 500 euros if the farm owner is under 45 years old, potentially reaching a maximum of 3,000 euros.
Additionally, an extra amount is provided based on the length of stay at the secondary livestock farm. This contribution is 100 euros for stays of one to two months, 500 euros if it extends between two and three months, and 1,000 euros if it exceeds a quarter.