Cartagena – The Civil Guard of the Region of Murcia has successfully dismantled a criminal group engaged in illegal fishing activities. The operation, codenamed “Luz y Sombra”, was carried out in collaboration with the Regional Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and forms part of Spain’s Annual Plan for Integrated Control of Fishing Activities (PACIAP).
Four individuals were arrested at the Los Nietos Nautical Club in Cartagena after being caught with approximately 300 kilograms of illegally caught fish, including protected species such as grouper, pollack, slipper lobster, zebra seabream, octopus, and meagre. The fish were reportedly captured within the marine reserve of Tabarca (Alicante), an area where fishing is strictly prohibited to protect marine biodiversity.
In addition to seizing the catch, the Civil Guard confiscated the vessel and all fishing equipment used in the illegal operation. The arrests were made after the patrol unit was alerted by Spain’s Integrated External Surveillance System (SIVE) to the suspicious movements of a boat entering Murcian waters from the Tabarca reserve.
The vessel was closely monitored until it docked at the Los Nietos marina, where agents caught three individuals unloading the illicit catch, assisted by a fourth accomplice on land. Officers from the Fiscal and Borders Patrol secured the boat and the fishing tools used.
The Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA) took charge of the investigation and, after gathering sufficient evidence, arrested all four individuals on suspicion of belonging to a criminal group and committing environmental crimes related to the illegal exploitation of flora and fauna.
Authorities warned that distributing fish caught without health checks or permits poses a serious risk to public health. Additionally, illegal fishing in marine reserves disrupts ecosystems, threatens biodiversity, and undermines the natural reproductive processes critical to sustaining fish populations and the “reserve effect” that these protected areas are designed to foster.
