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Date Published: 01/10/2021
ARCHIVED - Police release 265 kilos of octopuses caught by poachers in Santona
The poachers used illegal traps under the cover of darkness off the coast of northern Spain
Through operation ‘Santolagarro’ the Guardia Civil in the Cantabrian town of Santona on the northern coast of Spain released 265 kilos of live octopuses that had been illegally caught by poachers. The investigation was initially launched at the beginning of the summer as the population of this species has been in decline for many years, and three fishermen are currently being questioned and face heavy fines.
Locals have been notifying officials of the practice for the past few months, whereby objects called ‘tubes’, similar to lobster pots, are lowered into the water to a depth of between 25 and 40 metres in the bay of Santona and Laredo. The octopus takes shelter in the cages and is unable to get back out. According to police sources, the poachers would set their traps under the cover of darkness, despite the fact that fishing is prohibited in Cantabria after 6pm.
According to the Guardia Civil, this kind of poaching is responsible for the decimation of the species as the females view the pots as a safe place to lay their eggs. Once the cages are removed from the water the eggs are simply left inside to die, meaning that the population is constantly being depleted.
"The problem that this illegal fishing gear is generating is that there are fewer and fewer specimens and they are being taken in smaller sizes," a source clarified, adding that a conventional pot has holes that allow the eggs to be swept out by the current.
Through the operation, a total of 567 tubes were seized and 265 kilos of octopuses were returned to the sea alive. The three offenders face fines of between 601 and 60,000 euros each while the skipper could be looking at a sanction of 120,000 euros.
Images: Guardia Civil
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