In the framework of maritime control operations in the Colombian Pacific, units of the Colombian Navy found an Ecuadorian-flagged ship whose crew was illegally fishing on the Isla Gorgona, finding inside more than half a ton of various specimens, including three sharks.
The boat named Liria Liliana, manned by three individuals, one of them Ecuadorian and the other two Colombians, had entered Colombian waters without the corresponding permits issued by the local authorities, which is why it was transferred to the municipality of Tumaco in the department of Nariño.
Once on board the Tumaco Coast Guard Station, the fishery was put into custody of the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority – AUNAP and Corponariño, who determined during the inspection that there were three sharks of the specimen zorro ojón, 52 goldfish, two billfish and a swordfish, for a total fishing weight of 594 kilograms.
The individuals were put into custody of the Attorney General's Office for the alleged crime of illegal exploitation of natural resources and illegal fishing, foreseen in article 328 of the Colombian criminal code (Law 599 of 2000).
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Specimens of Wild Fauna and Flora - CITES, the specimen Zorro Ojon is protected, although not in danger of extinction. In the last 15 years, its population has decreased by more than 60 percent. This sea specimen is considered the largest of the Alopiidae family and can reach a size of up to five meters.
It should be remembered that Gorgona Island is approximately 54 kilometers of the municipality of Guapi - Cauca and was declared a protected area for the conservation of ecosystems and strategic habitats by the National Government, which is why any act that threatens natural resources is prohibited.
Source: Press - Navy of Colombia
