The oceanic patrol vessel ‘Tarifa’ deploys in the Atlantic Ocean to monitor and inspect designated fishing grounds

The OPV ‘Tarifa’ set sail from Cartagena towards the Great Sole Bank to participate in two fisheries control campaigns in the course of a 40-day deployment.

Initially, the vessel will participate in the deep sea fishing campaign in the Bay of Biscay as part of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) Plan. Her mission will be to monitor the fishing activities of EU-controlled deep sea species like the herring, mackerel, anchovy and blue whiting. To this end, the ‘Tarifa’ will embark inspectors from Portugal, France and Spain.

After a scheduled port of call in Gijón, the ‘Tarifa’ will start another fisheries control campaign along with other patrol vessels from Ireland, the United Kingdom, France and Spain to carry out control, inspection and surveillance tasks within their territorial waters, from the Gulf of Biscay to the Great Sole Bank. In this second stage of the deployment, an Irish, a British and two Spanish inspectors will embark on the ship during the port of call in Cork (Ireland).

The oceanic patrol vessel ‘Tarifa’, with hull number P-64, was built in Vigo (Pontevedra) thanks to an agreement between the former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Defense. The ship was delivered to the Spanish Navy in 2004. She belongs to the Maritime Action Force and has a crew of 40 people.