Italy” s shore guard has actually apprehended 18 individuals for unlawfully gathering day mussels off the shore of Naples.
Authorities state a criminal network is in charge of an “ecological calamity” throughout a six-kilometre stretch of coast by angling for the jeopardized shellfish over the last 5 years.
The team has actually presumably damaged rocks as well as coral reefs in an organized means, squashing limestone developments with hammers to remove the molluscs, which can cost as long as EUR200 per kilo on the underground market.
Angling for day mussels has actually been prohibited in Italy considering that 1998 due to their jeopardized condition as well as the intrusive technique utilized to capture them, which can be devastating for the aquatic environment.
This isn’t the very first time a gang has actually been targeted for this method.
Much less than 3 months back, on the close-by island of Capri, cops separated 2 various other organisations for day mussel angling.
If founded guilty, they might encounter numerous years behind bars.