Baiona Percebes Poacher Pleads Guilty, Gets €1,080 Fine and Three-Year Ban

Overview

• The plea was entered at Penal Court No. 1 in Vigo, where the case was scheduled for trial on Wednesday.
• The sentence includes a €1,080 fine, a three-year prohibition on shellfishing or fishing, and €4,954 in compensation to the Baiona fishers’ guild.
• Prosecutors had sought a €3,000 fine, a four-year disqualification from shellfishing, and nearly €5,000 in compensation.
• Authorities recorded 37 incidents between 2020 and 2024, seizing a total of 119 kilograms of illegally harvested percebes along the coasts of Nigrán, Baiona, and Oia.
• The cofradía described the man as a habitual poacher and said it will ask the court to convert the fine to prison if he fails to comply.