Overview

• The Servicio Marítimo de la Guardia Civil has formally denounced a trawler captain based in A Coruña for multiple breaches of Spain’s maritime fishing laws.
• At least 18 dead dolphins and four swordfish were captured during a net-hauling operation on March 18, 2025, near the Islas Cíes, with none of these incidents recorded in the ship’s activity log.
• The trawler retained four swordfish despite its license permitting only one per trip, further violating fishing regulations.
• Sea Shepherd’s Operation Dolphin Bycatch Spain footage, released on March 25, 2025, prompted the investigation, revealing failures to declare cetacean interactions and improper disposal of carcasses.
• The captain faces charges for not preserving dolphin carcasses for scientific analysis and for failing to comply with Spain’s State Maritime Fishing Law and order APA/1200/2020.