A complaint from Latitud Azul has achieved what seemed impossible: 10 months in prison for a fisherman who sold tourist excursions to capture protected marine species in Lanzarote.
Protected Species Treated as Trophies
The reported company advertised on social media the fishing of species whose capture is strictly prohibited in Spain:
- Great white shark
- Scalloped hammerhead shark
- Nursehound (critically endangered)
- Common stingray
- Shortfin mako
- Longnose sawfish
The complaint was filed with SEPRONA and resulted in the arrest and subsequent conviction of the responsible party.
The Case of the Butchered Nursehound
But it did not end there. Latitud Azul also reported a private individual who uploaded a video on social media butchering a nursehound, a critically endangered species whose capture is prohibited in Spain.
It is necessary to dimension what this means: The Canary Islands is one of the last refuges on the planet where the nursehound survives. Each specimen hunted brings the species closer to total disappearance.
Complaints Work
This case demonstrates that legal action works. Sometimes it seems that complaining is useless, that institutions are slow, that bureaucracy wins. But this time it did not:
- Documentary evidence was compiled
- Formal complaint was filed with SEPRONA
- Judicial investigation was opened
- Condemnatory sentence was issued: 10 months in prison
A Necessary Precedent
This conviction sends a clear message: fishing protected species has criminal consequences. It is not an administrative fine. It is prison.
From Latitud Azul, we will continue watching, complaining, and fighting for marine justice. Because the sea cannot defend itself.
Do you know any case of illegal fishing of protected species? Contact us confidentially.
