Fined €3,200 for catching and killing seven pardela chickens
The Civil Guard has confirmed that the trial concerning these events took place in Puerto del Rosario at the end of February, under a suspected environmental crime charge.
The Maritime Detachment of the Civil Guard in Fuerteventura arrested two individuals in September for capturing and killing seven Atlantic storm‑petrel (Calonectris borealis) chicks directly in their nests. A trial held in February resulted in a fine of €3,200 for each offender.
According to the official report, the incident occurred while officers were conducting a coastal patrol inside the Jandía Natural Park, specifically at the Punta Pesebre lighthouse. The patrol was coordinated with members of the fish‑guard service responsible for monitoring the environmental status of the Canary Islands’ marine protected areas (LIC and ZEC) under the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Government.
From their position, the guards observed lights at mid‑altitude on the mountains between Playa del Junquillo and Punta de Barlovento. They suspected that, given the season—when storm‑petrel chicks reach their maximum weight and become especially vulnerable to illegal hunting—some illicit activity might be underway.
The Civil Guard then identified two people approaching a vehicle while carrying a raffia sack and a wooden pole fitted with a hook, a tool commonly used to extract storm‑petrels from their caves. Inside the sack, officers found seven dead storm‑petrel chicks.
The Atlantic storm‑petrel is a species afforded special protection under Royal Decree 139/2011 and is listed in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species as vulnerable. It is also classified as vulnerable in Spain’s Red Book of Birds and is protected by the European Convention for the Conservation of Wild Animals and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention, Annex II, strictly protected fauna).
The Civil Guard reiterated that the trial, held in Puerto del Rosario at the end of February, addressed an alleged environmental offense involving the capture and killing of seven storm‑petrel chicks on the island of Fuerteventura.
Ultimately, the court imposed a monetary penalty of more than €3,200 on each offender and a three‑year ban on any hunting activities.