The Andalusian Regional Government, through its Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, issued 105 reports in 2025 related to the illegal harvesting of protected species. Environmental agents carried out the work as part of inspections and surveillance to detect the unauthorized extraction, sale, consumption or display of marine invertebrates.
By province, agents issued 39 reports in Granada, 26 in Cádiz, 20 in Málaga, 15 in Almería and five in Huelva. The number of inspections was higher, since a single report can cover checks at several businesses or inspection sites.
Surveillance in the natural environment generated the most reports, followed by checks on the sale of protected species and, in third place, inspections at restaurants and bars. At those establishments, agents check for possible illegal consumption of specimens listed in Andalusia’s List of Wild Species under Special Protection, as well as the display of parts such as shells, heads or carapaces.
Collecting marine invertebrates is an age-old practice, mainly for food, but it may also be undertaken for collecting, decoration or fishing bait. In Andalusia, collecting marine animals without authorization is illegal when it involves protected species. Continued, uncontrolled extraction can reduce populations and threaten the survival of some organisms.
Species monitored include the ferruginous limpet (Patella ferruginea), classified as Endangered. The disappearance of individuals from the natural environment has demonstrated the potential effects of illegal collection on particularly sensitive populations. The triton’s trumpet (Charonia lampas), classified as Vulnerable, is also monitored. During inspections in 2025, agents seized four shells of this species that had been displayed as decorative items in a restaurant. As law enforcement officers, agents may seize protected wildlife remains when they find them in someone’s possession or on display under circumstances covered by regulations.
The inspections follow Andalusia’s 2016 Protocol for Inspecting Illegal Harvesting of Protected Species, which guides the work of the regional government’s environmental agents. It covers species listed in the Andalusian Catalogue of Threatened Species and the Andalusian List of Wild Species under Special Protection (LAESRPE).
The protocol addresses the regular occurrence of illegal harvesting of marine invertebrates for consumption or use as fishing bait. Removing specimens from the natural environment is a major cause of mortality for some protected species, particularly when harvesting is repeated in particular areas or affects small populations. Alongside documenting suspected offences and making seizures where appropriate, agents’ presence is intended to inform and deter. They explain to individuals, traders and business operators that the species are protected and that using their remains as ornaments is prohibited when they have been obtained illegally.