Coast Guard units of the Colombian Navy found 1.2 tons of clam, a specimen that was being illegally extracted of the waters of the Magdalena River near the sector known as Caño del Torno.
The operation took place at the moment when an observation checkpoint of the Coast Guard Station of Barranquilla detected a ship sailing suspiciously in the sector, immediately deployed a Rapid Reaction Unit – URR that arrived at the place to verify the situation.
Noticing the work of the authorities, the crew of the suspicious boat jumped overboard and swam to the river bank, abandoning the ship with two people who were arrested by Coast Guard personnel. When checking the boat, 18 sacks and four buckets with clams were found by troops, material that was confiscated because they did not have the necessary legal documents for its extraction or commercialization.
The 1,200 kilos of clam were put into custody of the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority - AUNAP, the two arrested were handed over to the National Police and the boat was immobilized.
Illegal fishing represents a great risk both for the preservation of ecosystems and for the health of people, since this activity is carried out without any respect for the rules or prohibitions in force, nor for the cold chain or the correct handling of these specimens marketed for human consumption.
Source: Press - Navy of Colombia
