The Civil Guard Seizes 35 Kilos of Illegally Caught Lobster and Octopus in a Santa Pola Restaurant

The Civil Guard has seized 35 kilograms of lobster and rock octopus that were illegally caught from a restaurant in Santa Pola. The establishment was selling these products without being able to verify their traceability or provide health guarantees for their consumption.

The manager of the establishment faces various infractions with fines that could reach up to 60,000 euros. Currently, the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Alicante Civil Guard is investigating the matter to identify the fisherman responsible for these illegal catches.

According to a statement from the Civil Guard, the inspection of this establishment took place following an investigation conducted by Seprona, which had become aware of possible illegal capture and sale of these seafood products.

After the corresponding inquiries, it was on August 21st when a patrol visited the restaurant, where they found various products in the frozen storage units without labeling and without the necessary documentation to verify the type of product, its origin, and expiration date.

The manager of the establishment could not verify the origin of all these products, leading to the confiscation of 35 lobsters and seven rock octopuses, totaling 30 and five kilograms respectively.

The confiscated products have been handed over to the Territorial Directorate of Agriculture, Water, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Generalitat Valenciana. The incident has been reported to the Public Health Center of Elche, under the Conselleria de Sanidad, as the competent authority for health protection against risks.

The person reported faces various sanctions for violations of Law 5/2017 on maritime fishing and aquaculture, with fines related to food consumption reaching up to 60,000 euros, and Law 14/1986 General Health Law, with fines up to 4,000 euros.

According to Seprona, "the illegal capture of specimens poses a serious risk to the environment as it is often done without respecting closed seasons, established catch limits for specimens, and other aspects that must be considered to avoid harming species."

In the case of the seized octopus specimens, they were immature specimens. As for the lobsters, it should be noted that Tabarca Island is very close to Santa Pola, and fishing for this species is prohibited in that marine reserve.