The Spanish Navy’s OPV ‘Tarifa’ has just arrived in Cartagena from the Bay of Biscay and the Great Sole Bank after participating in two fisheries control campaigns in the course of a 40-day deployment.
Initially, the vessel took part in a deep sea fishing campaign in the Bay of Biscay as part of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) Plan (2 – 19 SEP). Her mission was to monitor the fishing activities of EU-controlled deep sea species like the herring, mackerel, anchovy and blue whiting. To this end, the ‘Tarifa’ embarked inspectors from Portugal, France and Spain. 37 inspections were conducted and only one infringement was reported: a trawler fishing without the required license.
After a scheduled port of call in Gijón, the ‘Tarifa’ started another fisheries control campaign along with other patrol vessels from Ireland, the United Kingdom, France and Spain to carry out control, inspection and surveillance tasks within their territorial waters, from the Gulf of Biscay to the Great Sole Bank. In this second stage of the deployment, an Irish and two Spanish inspectors embarked on the ship during the port of call in Cork (Ireland). 17 inspections were carried out and one violation reported: use of illegal nets.
[mappress] Press Release, October 14, 2014; Image: Spanish Navy