Atmosphere, Good Weather and Strong Participation at the León Silvestre Memorial

The weekend in Puerto del Rosario offered perfect conditions for fishing, as the 19th Offshore Fishing Championship “Memorial Silvestre de León” took place from October 2‑4 under a catch‑and‑release format.

High Turnout and Winners

A total of 45 boats from Fuerteventura and other islands entered the competition.

• Monty emerged as the overall winner, reeling in a marlin.
• Bejota secured second place, also with a marlin catch.
• The crew of Rapa Nui took third, again thanks to a marlin.

Organizers’ Remarks

Alejandro de León Darias, from the event’s organizing committee, highlighted the strong participation and praised the weather:

“Friday was very sunny, and although Saturday was a bit windier, the championship was overall a success—great participation and a wonderful atmosphere, even if this year we didn’t see many catches of other species.”

Regarding the catches, de León confirmed that five marlins were hooked, three of them photographed. The competition’s catch‑and‑release policy aims to protect marine fauna, and no trophies for swordfish, tuna or dorado were awarded because none of those species were landed.

“A Event That Honors Our Maritime Tradition”

During the closing ceremony, the mayor of Puerto del Rosario, David de Vera, the deputy mayor and councilor of Services David de León, and the Canary Islands Government’s Counselor of Tourism and Employment Jéssica de León congratulated the winning crews.

David de Vera posted on social media that the memorial is “a gathering that honors our maritime tradition and that we continue to promote with respect for the marine environment thanks to the catch‑and‑release format.”

The organizers also noted that the facilities improve each year, adding that the City Council has been very supportive, continuously expanding the venue’s capacity.

In Memory of Silvestre de León

Silvestre de León, who passed away in 2002, was a passionate fisherman whose family and friends have kept his memory alive by organizing this championship each year.

• He was a beloved resident of Puerto del Rosario, a businessman who founded a physiotherapy centre in the late 1990s that later became the Centro Médico Fuerteventura (CEM), pioneering the island’s first MRI scanner.
• Silvestre also played an active role in the island’s social and political life as a prominent figure in the Popular Party.

For nearly two decades, the Memorial Silvestre de León has become a flagship sporting event of the Fiestas en Honor a Nuestra Señora del Rosario, the patron saint celebration of Fuerteventura’s capital.