Faced with VOX's insistence on the presence in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar of Moroccan fishing boats, which also use prohibited netters, the Government has given instructions to retain this type of vessel and confiscate the illegal gear. This is what the Executive itself has pointed out to the VOX deputy for Ceuta, Teresa López, who insisted on asking what measures were going to be taken to tackle this problem after, at first, the Sánchez Government denied knowing the existence of Moroccan fishing vessels in Spanish waters.

Now, the Executive explains that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has given instructions so that, if Moroccan fishing boats are detected in Spanish waters, "they proceed to the retention of the vessel and the seizure of the gear." "And, if the activity is detected in non-Spanish Mediterranean waters, the necessary data will be taken to make a sighting report for submission to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) and Morocco", they add from the Government.

In addition, they also acknowledge from Moncloa that in the sighting reports referred to by López, "the use of drift nets by Moroccan-flagged fishing vessels in waters of the Alboran area is confirmed." "On the dangers derived from the use of this type of nets, the Government of Spain has sent a report to ICCAT, which is the Regional Fisheries Organization competent in these waters for discussion at the next meeting of its compliance committee", they point out. by last.



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