Chile and Spain crack down on illegal fish thefts

In Chile, the industrial fishing association Pescadores Industriales del Bío Bío filed two legal complaints after a violent theft of about 3,500 kg of jurel from the Camanchaca‑owned vessel Pehuenco while it was docked in Coronel. Five men approached the ship in a motorboat, brandishing knives and other tools, "con el propósito de intimidar a la tripulación y sustraer jurel". The stolen fish were later recovered in the market, and three suspects were detained in Lota on charges of receiving stolen goods.

In Spain, the Cofradía de Pescadores de A Coruña seized nearly 50 kg of large periwinkles worth roughly €4,000 from two poachers who entered the Torre de Hércules area by swimming. The seizure brings the total confiscated this month to about 200 kg. Authorities warned that "furtivismo incontrolado pone en grave risco tanto a conservación del recurso como a biodiversidad de este espacio" and are considering criminal and administrative actions, with the seized periwinkles donated to charity.