A Guardia Civil patrol in Almuñécar found and confiscated an illegal fishing net in front of Velilla Beach. The net was 100 metres long.

But that was a small one compared to the 200m-long net off the same beach which was collected up by the Servicio Marítimo de Motril.

Quite apart from the fact that these nets are designed to trap just about anything, no matter the size, they are lethal for unwary swimmers. Although the beaches are just about empty this time of year, there are still plenty of snorkelers in wet suits.

“This kind of fishing is normally carried out in the early hours of the morning when there are few people about. They’re also placed very close to the shore to avoid radar detection,” explained a Guardia Civil spokesperson.

Editorial note: The photo is one of a different net, found in La Herradura Bay last year.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)