Lanzarote-bound fishing boat at centre of legal complaint after voyage from Morocco
A fishing boat that arrived off Lanzarote after leaving the Moroccan port of Sidi Ifni has become the subject of a legal complaint after its owners alleged that two members of their crew used the vessel to travel to the Canary Islands without permission.
The case relates to the Jabrana II, a fishing vessel based in Sidi Ifni. According to the complaint filed in Lanzarote, the two fishermen had been authorised to leave port on a normal fishing trip on 26 July 2026 and return afterwards. Instead, the vessel eventually reached the waters off Lanzarote.
The two men, identified in reports as Abderrazar A. and Ahmed A., were rescued by Salvamento Marítimo on 29 July near Charco del Palo, on the island's north-eastern coast. Contemporary reporting from EFE said the two men appeared to be in good health and were taken to Arrecife.
What happened to the fishing boat?
The latest development is not about the rescue itself, but about what happened before it.
The owners of the Jabrana II say the boat was taken without their authorisation during what was supposed to be an ordinary fishing outing. They say one of the owners provided the crew with the equivalent of around €93, an outboard motor and 120 litres of fuel for the trip. The owners also say that another person listed as part of the crew remained on land.
The owners subsequently reported the matter to Morocco's Royal Gendarmerie in Sidi Ifni. They have now also brought a legal action before the court in Arrecife, asking for the vessel and its equipment to be located and preserved.
The complaint describes the boat as a working fishing asset rather than an abandoned vessel. The owners value the Jabrana II at more than €56,000 and say that between January and July it had been involved in the sale of almost two tonnes of fish, generating around €13,600 in sales.
Those figures are claims contained in the legal complaint and have not been established by a court.
Why has the case reached Lanzarote?
The legal action has been brought in Arrecife because the two fishermen and the boat arrived in Lanzarote and were subsequently dealt with by maritime emergency services there.
The owners' legal representatives are seeking cooperation between Spanish and Moroccan authorities so that documents from the proceedings in Sidi Ifni can be incorporated into the Spanish case and witnesses can potentially be heard.
The complaint also asks for steps to establish where the two men are now and whether they received assistance from the Red Cross after being brought ashore.
The owners say that if the boat cannot be recovered, they want compensation equivalent to its stated value, together with €55 per day in claimed lost income.
The legal process is ongoing, and the allegations made by the boat's owners should not be treated as a finding of guilt.
The original rescue off Lanzarote
The incident first came to wider attention on 29 July, when Salvamento Marítimo's Salvamar Al Nair responded after the Canary Islands emergency coordination service was alerted to a small vessel carrying two fishermen off the north-east of Lanzarote.
According to EFE's report at the time, the boat was located near Charco del Palo and the rescue took place at approximately 13:30 local time. The vessel was reported to have two outboard engines.
The connection between that rescue and the fishing boat Jabrana II only became clear to the owners later. They say they recognised both the men and their vessel in photographs from the rescue that appeared on social media the following day.
What does this mean for visitors to Lanzarote?
This is primarily a legal and maritime story rather than an event affecting normal travel around Lanzarote.
Charco del Palo is a coastal area on the island's north-east side, while Arrecife is the island's capital and main administrative centre.
The case does highlightS the important role played by Salvamento Marítimo and other emergency services around the Canary Islands. Lanzarote's position in the Atlantic means that maritime rescue operations are an important part of life on the island, for local fishermen, sailors and people travelling by sea.
For now, the main unanswered question is what will happen to the Jabrana II and where the legal proceedings involving its two alleged former crew members will ultimately be handled. Further decisions by the Spanish and Moroccan authorities could determine whether the vessel is returned to its owners or whether the case is dealt with principally in Morocco.
