Spanish authorities intercepted a Portuguese-flagged inflatable motorboat on Monday, which was illegally fishing in the protected waters of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. The two crew members were identified.
The regional government of Galicia launched a surveillance operation following an alert regarding the “presence of a vessel anchored southeast of the islet of A Herbosa, near Sálvora,” according to a statement issued on Tuesday.
“Park agents dispatched to this archipelago located the aforementioned vessel in a small shallow-water cove, with two occupants: one aboard and another engaging in spearfishing with weights and a harpoon,” the statement detailed.
Authorities proceeded to “identify the two individuals,” verifying that the crew members “lacked any authorization or license to be in the area.”
The Government proposed to Parliament that owners of high-speed boats measuring four meters or more without a flag or with concealed or falsified identification could face one to four years in prison.
Lusa | 13:23 – 13/08/2025
The harpoon was confiscated, and an infringement notice was issued. Meanwhile, the park management announced that a “sanction procedure has been initiated against the two identified individuals, in application of the Management and Usage Plan (PRUX) approved in 2018 and National Parks Law 30/2014.”
“Both regulations clearly prohibit sport hunting and fishing in such environments, as they are considered incompatible with preserving their natural values,” it read.
Comprising the archipelagos of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora, and Cortegada, the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park is “one of the most ecologically and scenically valuable enclaves” in the region, with “highly sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems.”
Nine suspects were subjected to necessary procedures for identification and legal processing.
Notícias ao Minuto | 11:34 – 30/11/2024
