The celebration of Ocean Day has been overshadowed by graphic evidence that shakes the foundations of the national fishing industry. Greenpeace has documented an allegedly illegal operation involving the Spanish fishing vessel ‘Naboeiro’, a 28-meter long line fishing boat based in Vigo, during an expedition in international waters located in the convergence zone between the Canary and Guinea currents. The images obtained by the activists reveal the capture, handling, and subsequent discard of specimens of the thresher shark, a species classified as extremely vulnerable to overexploitation. In 2022, a French television channel conducted an investigative report on this issue and no one took notice.
The intervention of the environmental organization exposes a series of possible violations against the fishing regulations of the European Union and the guidelines of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The documented facts show how the crew members of the vessel, built in 1995, proceed to bring on board three sharks of the species Alopias superciliosus. Current regulations explicitly prohibit targeted fishing of this shark, requiring vessels to adopt immediate release protocols in case of accidental capture. Contrary to following these procedures, the sequences show how the specimens were sectioned on deck and subsequently discarded overboard.
Evidence of illegal discarding and finning
The technical report prepared after the observation highlights a particularly serious irregularity: the discovery of parts of the sharks’ bodies that indicate finning onboard. This practice, known worldwide as finning, represents one of the most severe violations of community fishing policy, specifically designed to prevent vessels from exploiting the commercial value of fins in Asian markets while sacrificing the rest of the animal. The reporting organization adds that, if the absence of official reports to the General Secretariat of Fisheries regarding this specific catch is confirmed, the vessel would have incurred a flagrant breach of the fishing control protocols required of the Spanish fleet.
The incident takes on political dimensions as it occurs in an area of the Atlantic considered a priority for conservation under the new Global Ocean Treaty. The lack of effective surveillance in these high seas, where state control is complex, facilitates the operation of industrial fleets under a veil of impunity. Greenpeace has formally submitted the images and the case file to the General Secretariat of Fisheries of the Spanish Ministry, urging the agency to take action ex officio against what they describe as an unacceptable plunder of marine biodiversity.
A blow to the credibility of regional fishing management
The head of Greenpeace’s Oceans campaign, Ana Pascual, has stated that this episode constitutes definitive proof of the inefficiency of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), unable to ensure the real protection of vulnerable species even in critical transit areas. The complaint underscores the urgency to abandon the environmentalist rhetoric and empower the Global Ocean Treaty with coercive compliance mechanisms. The environmental movement fears that the historic text will come into force as little more than a piece of paper if the industrial fishing sector continues to ignore the protection of the designated marine sanctuaries.
The ‘Naboeiro’ represents, according to the complainants, a part of the fleet that uses the vastness of the ocean as a shield against scrutiny. The impact of these practices threatens not only the survival of fish stocks but also the long-term viability of the sector itself, which relies on a balanced ecosystem that mass discarding and illegal fishing are eroding. The Spanish fishing administration now faces the challenge of auditing this evidence and determining the corresponding sanctions, a response that is critical to assess Spain’s real commitment to legality in international waters in the face of pressure from traditional fishing lobbies.
