The Junta de Andalucía, through officers from the Fisheries Inspectorate in Málaga of the Andalusian Agency for Agricultural and Fisheries Management (Agapa) and in collaboration with Guardia Civil (Seprona) officers from Marbella, carried out an operation last June in which unregulated fishing gear was seized. Specifically, 14 fishing nets of the trasmallo and solta types, found on the slipways of the beach at Sabinillas (Manilva) and set at sea.
All the nets seized belonged to illegal fishermen who carry out their activity from these slipways, using non-professional boats stowed there.
At sea, several set nets were removed, some even within the bathing area and without marker buoys, posing a consequent danger to the safety of bathers. The events described have been happening repeatedly in this area.
This type of action on the Málaga coast is among the routine operations carried out by the Fisheries Inspectorate of the Junta de Andalucía in its fight against illegal fishing, which is considered a priority. In this regard, it should be noted that the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which includes poaching, allows better conservation of fishing grounds and ultimately benefits the sustainability of the activity of professional fishermen, who do comply with current regulations.
Fisheries regulations prohibit the possession, transport or storage of any professional fishing gear by people outside the fishing sector. Professional gear found on board non-professional boats may be seized, as may gear stowed or stored on beaches, breakwaters, warehouses, vehicles or any other type of premises.
The penalty for possessing professional gear without the corresponding licence is a serious offence, punishable by fines of between 301 and 60,000 euros. The action carried out by the Fisheries Inspectorate ensures compliance with current fisheries regulations, a rational and responsible exploitation of fishing resources and a fight against illicit activities in the fishing sector, thus contributing to environmental protection and marine conservation.
In this way, the seizure of illegal fishing gear, as in the case described, helps to combat, to some extent, the poaching of species, promotes the conservation of marine species and avoids possible hygiene and health risks, since species caught by poaching are not sold through legal channels.
