150 kilos of immature octopus seized on Costa del Sol

Only mature octopus may be sold legally. Credit: Alina Vaska Shutterstock

A JOINT operation carried out between the Fisheries Inspection department of the Junta de Andalucia and Seprona, the animal protection arm of the Guardia Civil has resulted in the seizure of150 kilos of undersize octopus in the Marbella port. Officers stopped a van leaving from the port with a person of interest who had a record of offences and discovered the octopus, all of which weighed less than one kilo. Fishing rules dictate that for sustainability reasons it is not permitted to land any octopus under one kilo, as it would be considered immature and unlikely to have bred which is essential for the safeguarding of the species, so should have been returned alive to the waters in which it was caught. As the octopus was not sold through the fish market but was supplied illicitly, there could be no guarantee that it had been checked as being fit for human consumption nor will it have been recorded for tax purposes.

 

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