Spain's coastal patrols fine dozens of watercraft for safety violations

The Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil has launched a summer‑long campaign on the Costa de Granada to enforce strict rules on personal watercraft and recreational boats. The operation requires operators to hold proper licences, civil‑liability insurance and safety equipment, and imposes speed limits, distance buffers from swimmers and restrictions on navigation zones, especially within protected marine areas.

In nearby Málaga, a coordinated beach‑surveillance effort involving local police, the Guardia Civil and the Fiscal Patrol issued twenty fines during the first two days of the summer control. Infractions included riding jet‑skis inside swimming zones, exceeding speed limits, approaching the shoreline closer than permitted, and failing to wear approved life‑vests or carry required documentation. The Málaga operation employed drones and more than twenty officers and is part of the 2026 Summer Vigilance Plan, which will continue throughout the season.