The International Sea Fair will be held on 20, 21 and 22 May in the area around the cruise ship terminal in Santa Catalina, with a special focus on surfing and water sports as potential vectors of economic development around the sea.
The public will be able to enjoy an extensive leisure programme during the three dates, with free access and parking and the added attraction of being able to contemplate the port and the city from the sea.

Raúl García Brink (technical coordinator for Economic Development, Energy Sovereignty, Climate and Knowledge of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria), José Eduardo Ramírez (Councillor for the City of the Sea of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council) and Francisco Trujillo (Director of the Port Authority of Las Palmas) presented the eleventh edition of the International Sea Fair, FIMAR 2022, which will be held on the morning of 17 May in the vicinity of the Santa Catalina cruise pier. This event has already established itself as the major meeting point for the blue economy in the Canary Islands, bringing together almost sixty public and private exhibitors specialising in the marine and maritime sector.

In 2022, the fair devotes special attention to surfing and water sports as potential vectors of economic development around the sea, in the city and on the island, with the presence of municipalities that are already reaffirmed as recurring venues for important international competitions. Thus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gáldar, La Aldea de San Nicolás or Santa Lucía de Tirajana have an outstanding participation in FIMAR, as regular venues for these events, with all the economic activity that this generates in the private sector.

Invitation to the public

Raúl García Brink, technical coordinator for Economic Development, Energy Sovereignty, Climate and Knowledge of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, pointed out that this “is an edition with which I think we are all quite satisfied, because we are once again making a return to being present, after last year, when we had quite a few restrictions and complications due to the pandemic. These are almost pre-pandemic conditions, with an attendance that we hope will be normal. We hope to regain muscle and reach our previous level. In 2019,” he said, “we had 41,000 visitors and we hope that we will gradually approach those figures.

“This edition is going to focus on surfing and sliding sports, which will be protagonists as potential drivers of economic activity,” added García Brink. “On the other hand,” he added, “we are also going to make visible a sector such as the blue economy, which I have no doubt is going to mark this century. Today it is already a vibrant sector that is in full effervescence”.

He also emphasised that in 2022 “we have to talk not only about economic development, but also about sustainability, and I believe that this fair represents this double aspect very well”.

José Eduardo Ramírez, Councillor for Ciudad de Mar of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, pointed out that “when the Council of Ciudad de Mar was created, I believe that a declaration of intent was made. We want to extend the connection of the citizens with the sea and the development of the blue economy. I think that one of the things we have done best is this alliance with the Cabildo and the Port to be able to organise some great editions of FIMAR. When we share objectives, I think the smartest thing to do is to pool resources. And we continue to do so”.

On the subject of surfing and sliding sports, he stressed that “Gran Canaria is already a world power in the organisation of this type of event, and even with our champions, who are top level. The surfing sector alone in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria,” he added, “generates an economy of more than three million euros a year. FIMAR is a very important opportunity for us to talk about the importance of these sectors and to highlight their value”.

Ramírez highlighted the leisure programme, to make “an invitation to the public to celebrate our relationship with the sea, because we are a city and an island of the sea, and that is what we want to convey to the public”.

Finally, Francisco Trujillo, director of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, reiterated the invitation to visit a fair with several attractions, such as the fact that “for the first time it is being held in the cruise ship dock, which almost all year round has restricted access for the general public for security reasons, and this is a good opportunity for people to get to know the space”. However, he also recalled that the current facilities will disappear so that new premises can be built in a year’s time.

In addition, he highlighted the possibility offered for visits by sea in boats provided by the Port for the fair. These are short crossings “from the even side of the quay, which is something that is not done very often, and I think it is very interesting to be able to enjoy some very interesting views of the city and the Port”.

Organisation and exhibitors

The City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Puertos de Las Palmas promote the holding of FIMAR, which is organised by the Department of Ciudad de Mar of the capital of Gran Canaria and the Trade Fair Institution of the Canary Islands (INFECAR). In 2022, the new space at Muelle Santa Catalina will host almost sixty exhibitors.

This year, Gáldar Town Council, La Aldea de San Nicolás Town Council and Santa Lucía de Tirajana Town Council have joined the event. Organisations such as Gestión y Planeamiento Territorial y Mediambiental (GESPLAN) and PLOCAN, the Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands) are also taking part.

On behalf of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), the University Institute of Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (ECOA) will be present at FIMAR.

Marine Ecosystems (ECOAQUA), the University Institute of Textual Analysis and Applications (IATEXT), the Faculty of Philology, the Biological Oceanography Group, the Canary Islands Harmful Algae Observatory (OCHABS), the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation, the SIANI (Division of Robotics and Computational Oceanography) and the University Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), as well as the Faculty of Marine Sciences, pioneer of these studies in Spain and an international reference in teaching and research in the marine environment.

Entities whose activity is directly linked to the sea are also present at the fair, such as the Real Club Naútico de Gran Canaria, the Federación de Vela Latina Canaria de Botes, the Federación Insular de Vela de Gran Canaria, the Club Deportivo Marítimo Varadero de Gran Canaria, the Asociación Nacional de Patrones Profesionales de Embarcaciones de Recreo (ANPPER), the Asociación de navegantes de recreo (ANAVRE) or the IFP Maritimo Pesquero de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

European Maritime Day and leisure plan FIMAR 2022 has been included by the European Union as one of the events on which European Maritime Day is celebrated. A date, 20 May, which is commemorated in more than 500 events in 28 different countries, under the hashtag #EMDinMyCountry and on different days distributed throughout the spring calendar. The aim of the EMD is to spread the importance of the connection with the sea throughout the Union.

In large part, also with actions aimed at public leisure, as is the case of the International Maritime Fair. The public attending FIMAR from the morning of Friday 20 May will be able to park for free on the site, and access the activities, also free of charge: those interested need only come to the pontoon of the Muelle Santa Catalina, to enjoy them, on a first come, first served basis and until full capacity is reached (initially, prior registration is not necessary).

Among these leisure options are walks or sea excursions aboard Glass Bottom boats, which are suitable for this type of initiative. In addition, attendees will also be able to sign up for sea baptisms and learn about different types of sailing. Or enjoy windsurfing, radio-controlled exhibitions and other regattas.

On the other hand, those who prefer to do so will be able to tour the port area on board the tourist bus (a service provided in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria by the company City Sightseeing).

The Navy will provide one of its maritime action ships (BAM) so that it can be visited on the quayside.

FIMAR has also been designed as a family event, with an exclusive children’s area where the youngest members of the public will be able to attend children’s surf-related craft workshops or be entertained with racket games or games of skill and construction.

Divulgación

La Feria Internacional del Mar conserva en este 2022 su fuerte convicción divulgativa, ofreciendo al público una completa relación de charlas de libre asistencia. En FIMAR será posible descubrir más, y de la mano de los expertos, sobre cuestiones como las trazas que dejan los metales en el mar, la asistencia veterinaria en los varamientos de cetáceos, la presencia de los tiburones en Canarias, el impacto de los microplásticos en los océanos, la sostenibilidad y el cuidado del medio marino, la seguridad en la náutica de recreo o incluso las rutas desde la antigua Roma a las Islas o la conexión de la literatura con el mar.