Progreso, Yucatan — The Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) seized nearly 300 kilos of illegally captured fish and a boat Wednesday night. The inspection and subsequent seizure took place during a surveillance operation in Yucalpetén, Progreso.
Personnel from the Ninth Naval Zone, in coordination with the Federal Maritime Guard, was carrying out surveillance tours on the Yucatecan coast when they came upon an abandoned vessel.
The boat was equipped with an outboard motor. On board, inspectors located 278 kilos of illegal marine species as well as a tank, harpoons and gasoline canisters. The illegal catch, they detailed, included grouper and snail, a species that is currently in closed season.
“A compressor and tank, 100 meters of hose, three harpoons, seven empty fuel drums (with a capacity of 50 litres each) and communication equipment were also found,” the Secretaría de Marina (Semar) reported in a statement.
The vessel and the seized items were made available to the National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca). The corresponding report was drawn up to be included in the investigation file.
