Ten Ecuadorians arrested in Colombia for illegal fishing of 1.6 tons

Narino, COLOMBIA

Ten Ecuadorian fishermen who were carrying out tasks off the coast of Tumaco, in Colombia, were arrested on Thursday, February 10, after the naval authorities of the northern country verified that they were carrying out said activity without having permission from the marine fauna surveillance agencies. Colombian.

In a statement issued by the Colombian Navy, it was indicated that the Ecuadorians were sailing in three boats, inside which 1,665 kilos of white fish were seized, which, according to the legislation of that country, was extracted illegally.

It was the Punta Ardita coastal patrol and a Rapid Reaction unit from the Tumaco Coast Guard Station that detected the three boats 110 nautical miles off the coast of that town.

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When the boats were inspected, 122 specimens of fish could be identified, including dorado, sword and panderón.

And since none of the captains of the three boats carried the fishing permits granted by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (Aunap), as well as the Colombian Maritime General Directorate (Dimar), they incurred in the illegal use of natural resources, such as stipulated by Law number 2111 of Colombia.

After the corresponding hearings, the three captains of the vessels were captured and placed at the disposal of the Prosecutor’s Office of the northern country, while the fishing resources were placed at the disposal of the Aunap.

The remaining seven crew members were handed over to Immigration for deportation.

“This result is added to the seizure of 180 kilograms of illegal fishing found on board a foreign vessel, on January 23, 2022, in which species protected by the Colombian State, such as the silky shark, were found,” the statement said. of the Navy. (I)