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Europa Press
Malaga
Friday, 10 January 2025, 13:28
The Guardia Civil, under the direction of the environmental prosecutor's office in Malaga, have carried out the so-called Operation Galete during which a criminal group dedicated to bluefin tuna poaching has been dismantled. Eight people have been investigated in the operation for allegedly committing crimes against wildlife, against public health, relating to the market and consumers and belonging to a criminal organisation, the Guardia Civil said in a statement.
Specifically, the gang operated in the waters off the coast of Malaga city, subsequently introducing the tuna catches onto the market with fraudulent documentation via a wholesale frozen fish company in Malaga and restaurants located in Marbella.
Fishermen and professionals in the sector informed the Guardia Civil that several organised individuals were continuously poaching fish, which was expressly prohibited during the closed season.
During the investigation, the poaching of 16 bluefin tuna specimens was detected, whose approximate weights ranged from 70 kilograms to more than 200 kilograms per specimen.
The Guardia Civil also said that such practices put the health of the consumers of these fish at risk, as they lacked any kind of sanitary control. In addition, the investigation has revealed the very poor sanitary conditions of the vehicles used for their transport and the poor hygienic conditions of some of the tuna, being certified by the health authorities as a "serious and imminent risk to public health", which could cause serious food poisoning to consumers.
Apparently, these establishments were aware of the illegal origin of the tuna, but they took advantage of their business and commercial activities by falsifying information about their origin, which brought them significant economic profits.
During the operation, two recreational boats, two vehicles, five professional rods with their respective specific reels for this type of catch, two probes, two bait boats, bait, hooks and fishing lines, among other things, were seized, which have been placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities.
The Guardia Civil's specialist Seprona nature and environment protection officers had the collaboration of the official college of veterinarians of Malaga, Malaga city council, Aula del Mar foundation of Malaga and the international union for conservation of nature (UICN), which have provided various expert reports to support the offences.
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