Northern Sea Area inspectors of the Nature and Parks Authority, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, identified two rifle fishermen with flashlights last night in the Shikmona Marine Reserve in Haifa.
The two were detained for questioning and cases were opened against them for fishing in a reserve, fishing during the breeding season, fishing for smaller than permitted stingrays, and fishing without a license. Their equipment was also seized.
During the enforcement activity, the inspectors identified a net set at shallow depth in the "Quiet Beach" area in Haifa. After observations, a person was recorded collecting the net in the morning hours.
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The suspect was detained and questioned on the beach about fishing during the breeding season of prohibited species, with a prohibited eye size and depth for this season, and his net was seized.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Nature and Parks Authority remind that fishing restrictions apply in the Mediterranean Sea between May 1 and June 30, 2026, along with the suspension of trawl fishing between July 1 and August 31, 2026. Starting in 2018, the Nature and Parks Authority acts as the body responsible for enforcing the Fishing Ordinance and fishing regulations determined by the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The Shikmona Marine Reserve is located in the southern part of the city of Haifa. Snails from the tuberous family have created a reef there on top of limestone rock. In the area where the waves crash, limestone and dolomite rocks are exposed, and this is the only area on the Israeli coast where rocks of this type are exposed right at the waterline and undergo consolidation and weathering. Heritage treasures have been preserved from the ancient settlement of Shikmona on the coast and at sea.
