Poachers fined over €6000 for killing protected seabirds in Fuerteventura
Two poachers have been fined and banned from hunting after killing seven protected seabirds in a natural park in Fuerteventura, highlighting ongoing concerns over wildlife crime in the Canary Islands.
The incident took place last September in the Jandía Natural Park, where officers from the Guardia Civil’s maritime unit spotted suspicious lights on the mountainside during a coastal patrol near Punta Pesebre.
Suspecting illegal hunting activity, officers intercepted two people approaching a vehicle carrying a sack and equipment commonly used to extract birds from nests. Inside the sack, they found seven dead Atlantic shearwaters, a species protected under Spanish and European law.
The birds were later examined by specialists, who confirmed they had died from suffocation and head trauma. Authorities treated the case as a potential offence against wildlife under Spain’s criminal code.
The case went to trial in Puerto del Rosario in late February. Both of them were fined more than €3,200 each and banned from hunting for three years.
The Atlantic shearwater is a vulnerable seabird that nests in coastal cliffs and caves across the Canary Islands. Although hunting the species was once a traditional practice, it has been illegal since 1981, with strict protections now in place.
Environmental authorities stress that these birds play an important role in the marine ecosystem and are part of the islands’ natural heritage. Disturbing or killing them is considered a serious offence.
Penalties for such crimes can include prison sentences of up to two years, severe fines, and extended bans on hunting or fishing.
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