Agents from the SEPRONA (Nature Protection Service) in La Gomera have confiscated a clandestine shipment of over 28 kilograms of fresh fish and seafood. The merchandise, transported in a vehicle without any sanitary control, poses an imminent risk to public health in the archipelago.

This operation is the result of a surveillance operation coordinated with local fishermen's guilds and marine sector professionals, who had reported suspicious movements and parallel distribution channels violating fishing regulations.

During a routine inspection, a SEPRONA patrol intercepted a commercial vehicle. Inside, they discovered boxes containing high-value species such as shrimp, moray eels, bream, and cabrillas. The driver lacked documentation proving the legal origin of the catch, and critically, the cold chain had been broken, exposing the fish to high ambient temperatures that accelerate decomposition.

Given the inability to certify traceability and the risk of intoxication, the Guardia Civil ordered the immediate seizure and destruction of the 28 kg of seafood, preventing them from reaching restaurants or markets.

Those involved face a severe administrative sanctioning process. The charges are based on the State Maritime Fishing Law 3/2001 and Royal Decree 418/2015, which classify these actions as serious infractions. Financial penalties can range from 601 to 60,000 euros, depending on recidivism and the volume seized.

The Guardia Civil Command reminds the public that purchasing fish or seafood outside conventional channels harms the sustainability of Canary Islands marine fauna and weakens the economies of families dependent on legal traditional fishing. They urge consumers and restaurateurs to always demand official food traceability labeling.