Fines for over 18 thousand euros, 17 irregularities found, 315 kilos of fish seized . These are the numbers of the "Mediterranea" operation conducted from 2 to 17 May by the Coast Guard of Cagliari and Oristano and by the dependent offices of Arbatax, Bosa, Carloforte, Portoscuso and Sant'Antioco and aimed at verifying compliance with the regulations in the marketing of products fish and in the fishing supply chain in the central-southern area of Sardinia.

Of the 17 offenses «most concern the lack of traceability of the fish product , for which ethnic restaurants, fishmongers and stalls within markets were sanctioned - explain the Coast Guard - caught selling even valuable products such as red prawns, lobsters and swordfish, without any suitable documentation to certify their traceability ".

In an ethnic restaurant in the center of Cagliari run by staff of Chinese origin , 63 kilos of fish products without traceability documentation were found and seized . Other offenses were found in a shipping center in Oristano : 2 thousand euro fine for violation of health and hygiene regulations in the treatment of some specimens of sea urchins without documentation. Another 2 thousand euro fine for a restaurateur in the Bosa area for failure to comply with the self-control manual.

Some professional fishermen were also sanctioned for fishing in prohibited places and also for irregularities regarding the composition of the crew and the keeping of on-board documents.

(Unioneonline/vl)