Cristina Hodgson
RECKLESS fishermen leaving baited hooks on Fuengirola dog beach are putting pooches in deadly danger.
Spokesman for the Municipal Citizens–Party at the Fuengirola City Council, Javier Toro, has called out to the dangers of fish hooks on Fuengirola’s dog beach, saying recreational fishing should be banned from canine beaches in Malaga.
Due to a rise in the number of cases of dogs swallowing fish hooks on Fuengirola canine beach, Toro has put forward a motion to set out a security perimeter of 30 metres on the beach.
Additionally, the spokesman of the orange formation has asked the Consistory to ‘urgently’ install posters warning recreational fishing enthusiasts to avoid Playa del Castillo.
The possibility of instructing local police officers to enforce this measure has also been raised.
According to Toro, a fishing ban on Fuengirola beach would have ‘minimal’ impact on local fishermen as they have the rest of the coastline to fish on, but could ‘save the lives of many dogs’.
Baited hooks left on the ground are extremely dangerous for pets, sea birds, sea mammals and wildlife.
If swallowed they cause lacerations, can stick in intestines and stomachs and may puncture organs and are very difficult—and costly— to remove surgically.
In Fuengirola alone the number of officially registered dogs exceeds 21,500, meaning there is one dog for every four people in the area.
READ MORE:
- Pooch paradise: 16 dog friendly beaches in Spain’s Andalucia
- The best official dog beaches in Spain’s Andalucia and Costa del Sol
