Inspectors from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Málaga have seized four vessels in Torre del Mar which were apparently engaged in illegal fishing.
The operation was carried out in conjunction with Seprona and the Guardia Civil as part of the ongoing monitoring of the coast for illegal fishing.
On this occasion, the unregistered boats were using very fine nets which capture all fish in the area, including very young and small specimens of anchovy and sardines, and very quickly depletes fish stocks.
In the past fourteen years, a total of 833 illegal fishing boats have been seized in Málaga province. Penalties for illegal fishing can be up to €60,000.
will says:
I am glad to see that the boats that are unregistered are brought to task. The fishing must be regulated to sustain future stocks of fish. if the young fry are not given the chance to develop, then the med will soon be as barren as a desert where fish are concerned. It may be better to educate the fisherman as to how they can earn a living in a more sustainable way and secure future stocks for all.
people like to see how the fish are caught and in Uk, the fish tagging system seems to be a hit, where you can choose to buy line caught fish from sustainable stocks. The fish are tagged to let the customer see how they were caught.
The Spanish pride themselves on the quality of their seafood and the fishermen must be the leaders in maintaining their livelyhood for future generations.