The Guardia Civil has seized a bluefin tuna weighing around 250 kilograms, which was allegedly caught illegally off the coast of Villajoyosa in Alicante. The incident coincided with the very first day of the fishing season for this specific species.
The skipper of the vessel now faces five separate complaints regarding fishing violations and maritime safety infractions. The events took place on the night of 16 June, when the crew of a patrol boat from the Provincial Maritime Service of Alicante spotted a pleasure craft roughly six miles out from the port of Villajoyosa. Upon noticing the presence of the officers, the vessel altered its course and stopped moving.
Suspecting that the boat could be transporting an illegally caught bluefin tuna, the officers proceeded to inspect it, as reported by the Guardia Civil in a statement.
During the inspection, officers verified that the skipper had not installed the PescaREC application, which is mandatory for the 2026 campaign to electronically declare catches and provide the required advance notice before arriving at a port with a bluefin tuna. Furthermore, once the vessel had docked, the skipper was unable to produce a valid maritime fishing licence.
The inspection carried out by the officers also uncovered deficiencies regarding maritime safety, as the vessel lacked the legally required flares, and the skipper could not provide proof of the compulsory insurance.
Consequently, five complaints were filed: three for fishing violations and two regarding maritime safety. The bluefin tuna found on board, which measured around 220 centimetres in length, was seized and delivered to a soup kitchen run by a charitable organisation in Alicante.
Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is one of the most iconic and heavily regulated species in the Mediterranean. Following years of overexploitation, an international recovery plan promoted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) allowed populations to recover, and they are currently managed through annual quotas distributed among different fishing methods.
In recreational fishing, current regulations require catch and release if the fish arrives at the boat alive but allow one specimen per day to be kept if an accidental death occurs during the landing process. The season opened on 16 June and demands a specific authorisation, a valid licence, and the mandatory declaration or pre-notice through PescaREC.
The commercialisation of bluefin tuna caught recreationally is strictly prohibited. The poaching of these specimens hinders the control of a species subject to strict limits, harms professional fishing and recreational fishermen who comply with the regulations, and can introduce products into the consumer chain that lack any traceability.
The Guardia Civil reminds the public of the importance of respecting fishing regulations to ensure the conservation of species, as well as the importance of not putting to sea without the mandatory safety elements, which are essential for dealing with an emergency.
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