Fines and confiscation of equipment
No fewer than 67 fishermen are on trial for illegally fishing bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean. While other defendants "will be summoned to a public hearing by the end of the year", "the sum of the sentences handed down at this stage is in the region of 177,000 euros in fines, the confiscation of several dozen big-game fishing rods, and the withdrawal of several dozen bluefin tuna fishing authorizations", the OFB detailed in its press release.
Tuna in the crosshairs of the law
It was in November 2019 that inspectors from the Office "noticed, on a poster in the port of Narbonne-Plage, the production by the recreational tuna fishing club of a tuna race". Following this, the Office's inspectors decided to carry out checks and open an investigation under the aegis of the Narbonne prosecutor, the OFB said.
The various elements gathered during the investigation "have made it possible to identify and establish fraud involving 168 bluefin tuna between 2017 and 2020, and to characterize nearly a thousand infractions. In addition, a quota overrun (...) by the recreational tuna fishing club was also highlighted", added the OFB.
Strict regulations
"Fishing for this species is subject to very strict regulations imposing quotas, limiting catches and marketing. Recreational fishing is not exempt from these obligations", says the press release.
