Turkish authorities have slapped illegal fishers with TL 14.1 million in fines so far this year, the Coast Guard Command said Thursday.
Coast Guard Command teams, as per Turkey's Coast Guard Act and Fisheries Act, do inspections to prevent illegal fishing activities and protect the country's maritime resources.
A total of 4,173 people, who engaged in illegal fishing operations, have faced fines so far this year. In comparison, 4,568 people were fined TL 12.4 million for illegal fishing.
Coast guard units have so far intervened in 105 incidents of marine pollution this year. They handed down a total of TL 5.4 million in administrative fines for polluting Turkey's seas.
In addition, 70 out of 80 ship or boat owners were fined TL 1.2 million for failing to submit or produce legal documents.
The regional and seasonal checks cover document and technical inspections.
Under the relevant legislation, the violators are slapped with administrative fines, while any illegal products on board, including fishing equipment, are confiscated.
