A fishing vessel of a third country was found to be fishing illegally within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone last September.

According to a statement from the Department of Fisheries and Maritime Research, the operation was carried out with the Port and Maritime Police in the marine area of ​​Zygi, a small village in the south coast of Cyprus.

The Fisheries Department says that an unknown radar signal was detected at a distance of 20 NM (nautical miles) off the coast south of Zygi on September 30th, 2019.

A coordinated operation was conducted and when the vessel was located, the Port and Maritime Police accompanied it and the crew to a port. Following an inspection on board, all fishing gear and fish catch, of 1,290 kg, worth over € 25,000 in retail, were seized and the captain was fined an extra € 8,500.

The operation is part of a continuing surveillance campaign conducted by the Fisheries Department in cooperation with the Port and Maritime Police, with the aim of preserving fish stocks within the Republic`s maritime zones and protecting them from illegal and unregulated fishing in the region of Eastern Mediterranean.