Good catch in joint actions targeting illegal fishing

The Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana led an EMPACT Joint Action Day targeting illegal fishing. The action day, co-led by the Spanish Guardia Civil and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA)and supported by Europol, Eurojustand Frontex, involved authorities from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden. Law enforcement and fisheries control agencies took part in the actions.

Means mobilised:

• 3 162 inspectors (from police, fisheries, customs, agriculture and health agencies);
• 260 vehicles;
• 189 vessels;
• 18 aerial assets;
• 2 explosives detection dogs;

Overall results:

• 2 248 persons, 12 vehicles and 194 vessels checked;
• 64 crimes detected;
• 185 administrative infringements;
• 8 arrests;
• Seizures included plastic explosives, detonating caps and wick, almost 11 tonnes of fish, crustaceans and clams (4.5 tonnes of trout, 6 tonnes of sardines, 50 kg of immature fish, 48 kg of bluefin tuna, 80 kg of fine clams, 31 kg of Norway lobsters), high-tech equipment, computers and documents, 167 illegal fishing nets and 20 other illegal tools.

Europol facilitated the information exchange and the operational coordination and provided analytical support.