The Civil Guard in cooperation with the Fisheries Service of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (CARM), arrested an underwater fisherman on Monday who the found in possession of several fish (seabream and sea bass), an underwater harpoon and other fishing gear, and who they say was carrying out his activity illegally.
They say that he was fishing underwater, at night, in the area El Estacio de La Manga del Mar Menor-San Javier, putting him in breach of the Law of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Region of Murcia.
At the time, specialists from the Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard (SEPRONA) and inspectors from the Fisheries Service were carrying out joint surveillance aboard a boat in the area of the canal El Estacio that links the Mediterranean with the Mar Menor, in the municipal region of San Javier.
Thanks to the public collaboration, the agents detected the presence of a diver who was allegedly carrying out illegal seizures of marine species. When the diver noticed the presence of the maritime he turned off the water lantern with the intention of hiding in the dark, hoping that they would pass without noticing his location.
However crew members saw the individual as he made the shore and began to run away. He was wearing a diving suit and carrying a harpoon gun and failing to heed police requests to stop.
At they too put ashore the agents eventually found the diver lying under a van parked in the vicinity, where he hid with his catches and fishing gear.
The police seized several species of sea bream and sea bass which, despite being dead, they returned to the sea, as well as the harpoon gun and the rest of his diving and fishing gear.
