Members of the Maritime Detachment of the Civil Guard of Fuerteventura intervened on March 24 a total of 83 kilograms of bluefin tuna to a sports boat in Lanzarote, which was fishing in waters south of the island of Majorera and that on his return was inspected by a patrol boat of the Benemérita.
From the Civil Guard explain that sports and recreational fishing of bluefin tuna for the purpose of killing this species is prohibited and that the only modality that can be practiced is catch and release, taking the necessary measures to ensure the return alive to the sea of the mentioned species. In addition, this modality can only be carried out between mid-June and mid-October or until the assigned quota is consumed.
When it has not been possible to avoid the death of a bluefin tuna specimen, the Benemérita points out that the activity of capture and release must cease and that whenever there is quota available, the mandatory declaration of capture must be made, detailing the weight and size of the specimen and disembarking it whole, prohibiting its commercialization. The captured tuna must be disembarked whole, as well as the rest of the catches of other tunas.
However, in the aforementioned inspection, the agents found a specimen of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnu) dismembered, without head or spines, in two refrigerators on the boat. The weighing was carried out in the fishermen's association of Corralejo, giving a total of 83 kilograms that were seized and delivered to charity in the Obra Social la Milagrosa in the mentioned locality.
Citizen collaboration
According to the Civil Guard, citizen collaboration was fundamental in the realization of this service, since it was fishermen in the area who warned that the aforementioned boat could have a bluefin tuna on board.
The Civil Guard also has an email address, sugerencias@guardiacivil.org , whose purpose is the general attention to the citizen, also serving as a channel to receive information on issues that may initiate an investigation.
Fines from 601 to 60,000 euros
From the Benemérita it is pointed out that the fishing of bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean is regulated by a Royal Decree and that, in addition, the breach of the obligations and requirements in the regulations regarding the capture of bluefin tuna is a serious infraction included in the Law of Maritime Fishing of the state.
According to this regulation, it is pointed out that serious infractions may be sanctioned with fines of 601 to 60,000 euros.
