The Civil Guard, as part of the Annual Plan for Comprehensive Control of Fishing Activities 2025, located and removed a total of 109 traps intended for octopus catch which were located approximately two nautical miles from Torre de la … Horadada, Pilar de la Horadada district, in Alicante.
The discovery took place on December 6, when members of the Maritime Service of the Civil Guard of Alicante, on board the patrol boat Río Adaja, located a fishing gear signaling beacon, known in marine slang as “rooster», as detailed by the Armed Institute in a press release.
This beacon did not bear the regulatory identification marks of its owner, thus violating the regulations in force, in addition to contravening the ban on its use outside established hours.
Given these irregularities, the agents proceeded to lift and hoist the fishing gear, verifying that it was a line of traps with bait for catching octopuses, made up of 109 jars drafts along one nautical mile. The lifting work lasted approximately three hours. During the recovery of the gear, various species were found, including octopus, moray eels and conger eels, which were returned alive to the sea, minimizing the impact on the marine ecosystem.
In addition to reporting the facts to the competent authority, the Civil Guard has opened an investigation to determine the origin of the traps, without excluding the possible location of the alleged offenders, who could face sanctions of up to 60,000 euros.
Comprehensive annual plan for monitoring fishing activities
These types of actions are part of the Annual Plan for Comprehensive Control of Fishing Activities for 2025, signed between the Civil Guard and the General Secretariat of Fisheries, whose objective is to strengthen the surveillance and control of fishing activities.
One of the objectives of the plan is to avoid the presence at sea of illegal or unauthorized vesselsdetect unidentified, non-regulated or prohibited fishing gear or gear, as well as discourage fishing in prohibited areas or bottoms.
The Civil Guard recalls that illegal octopus fishing with this type of gear represents serious damage, as it depletes populations without control, damages the marine ecosystem, harms fishermen who respect the law, generates food insecurity and leads to sanctions and fines for those who practice it, negatively affecting long-term sustainability and the local economy.
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