Laurence Dollimore
MORE than three tonnes of octopi and clams have been seized in southern Spain.
In footage shared online, the Guardia Civil can be seen removing buckets filled with the sea creatures in Huelva, Andalucia.
In total, more than 3,000kg of octopi, which were of the ‘rock octopus’ variety, were seized in Isla Cristina, Lepe and Ayamonte.
The fishermen were unable to produce documents that showed where the animals had been fished from, among ‘other important data’, according to police.
Meanwhile, there were no legitimate channels for the commercialisation of the octopi, while hygiene and sanitary controls were not adhered to.
Police carried out the raids alongside the Fisheries Inspection unit of the Junta de Andalucia.
In addition, 90 of the 636kg seized in Isla Cristina did not comply with the minimum legal catch size established for the Atlantic fishing ground.
The minimum size is designed to ensure sustainable fishing by supporting the animal’s reproduction cycles.
Cops also seized 210kg of the Japanese clam species because they failed to meet the minimum regulatory size.
A Guardia Civil spokesperson said: “The fundamental objective of these interventions is to guarantee compliance with current fishing regulations, as specified in the Annual Plan for the Comprehensive Control of Fishing Activities (PACIAP), within the scope of the commercialisation line, in the province of Huelva.”
