A boat using illegal fishing equipment to catch octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Santa Pola Bay has been found and taken by the Guardia Civil, working together with Maritime Fisheries inspectors from the Alicante government, as part of a joint operation.
According to a statement from the fishing institute, the intervention occurred on February 5 when fisheries inspectors requested assistance after observing a semi-rigid boat with two individuals on board, one of whom was wearing a diving suit, depositing pieces of pipe on the seabed as traps from the coast.
The occupants of the vessel were identified, and the equipment they were transporting was inspected after it was intercepted with the assistance of the Provincial Maritime Service and the Special Underwater Activities Group (GEAS). The inspection led to the discovery of buckets, tools, and a vial of sodium hypochlorite (bleach). During this initial operation, we recovered the first illicit trap.
GEAS returned to the area to conduct a “thorough search” of the seabed during a subsequent survey, this time with specialised diving equipment. Consequently, eight homemade traps constructed from PVC tubing were discovered and confiscated, with some of them being driven into the seabed using blunt instruments. Live octopuses were contained within four of the cages, and they were “immediately released into the sea.”
The Guardia Civil asserted that the fishing gear was devoid of any signage or identification, which is a violation of current regulations. These regulations mandate that all professional fishing gear be properly identified with the vessel’s name and registration.
The illicit material was seized, and the corresponding sanction proposals were processed after all the checks were conducted by the officers. The sustainability of the marine ecosystem is “significantly endangered” by the use of this form of illegal trap, which targets protected species without control, including juveniles under the regulatory weight of one kilogram.
In addition, this illicit activity “seriously harms professional fishermen” by introducing catches outside of legal marketing channels, such as fish markets. Some of these landings may be sold to the hospitality industry through illegal channels, without the minimum health and traceability guarantees that are necessary for fish products.
The Guardia Civil has issued a warning that illicit fishing is a severe violation of the Maritime Fishing Law and can result in fines ranging from €601 to €60,000.
Author: Derek Appleton
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