A man caught illegally spearfishing with scuba gear off the coast of the Blue Grotto was detained by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) after being reported by the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU).
The incident took place around noon on Saturday near Żurrieq and was documented by the MRU.
The spearfisherman was aboard a recreational fishing vessel when he was spotted by the MRU. Acting on a tip-off, the MRU immediately deployed personnel to the site and began monitoring the scene. The Department of Fisheries was contacted, and the army was called in to assist.
“Whilst the AFM patrol vessel P21 was on its way, the Rangers documented the scuba diver surfacing with cylinder and speargun,” the MRU said on social media.
The NGO published a TikTok video and a social media post on Sunday showing the moment the man was intercepted.
The spearfisherman allegedly panicked when he noticed the patrol vessel approaching and dropped the speargun into the sea. He can be seen in the TikTok video dropping the speargun as the patrol vessel approaches.
“This is very common when persons are caught fishing illegally, hoping to get away with it by letting the gear sink to the bottom and retrieve it later,” the MRU said.
However, the MRU had already filmed the entire incident.
“What he didn’t count on was our Rangers to be able to film also that…” the MRU said, referring to footage that showed the man discarding the speargun.
The man was detained by AFM officers, and all his fishing gear was seized, including the speargun, which was retrieved from the seabed.
He is expected to face charges of illegally spearfishing with an aqualung and of illegally discarding evidence.
The MRU also said it had received reports that the man was catching undersized dusky groupers.
“Spearfishing with scuba cylinders (aqualung) is illegal in all EU member states. It gives the spearfisher an extreme advantage to be able to spend one to one-and-a-half hours below the surface. It’s also very hard to enforce since it’s hidden,” an MRU spokesperson said.
However, the NGO added that when done legally, spearfishing is among the most sustainable fishing methods as it results in no bycatch.
The MRU thanked the AFM for “outstanding service and support”, adding: “It’s great to see such dedication to safeguard our sea!”
This is not the first time the MRU has helped catch people engaged in illegal spearfishing, including catching offenders at night.