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Spain protests to Britain over expulsion
of Spanish fishing boats from
Gibraltar waters
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While the Gibraltar government was preparing to welcome Algeciras mayor Jose Ignacio Landaluce, in a gesture of goodwill given this PP politician's well-known attitude towards Gibraltar, the Spanish foreign ministry was protesting to the British Embassy in Madrid over the expulsion of Spanish fishing boats from Gibraltar waters, writes JOE GARCIA.
The Spanish foreign ministry expressed 'deep concern' to the embassy's No. 2 as the ambassador was not in the country. The Spanish said the protest should not affect the good state of Anglo-Spanish relations.
The protest stressed what it terms 'the unilateral suspension of the 1999 fishing agreement.'
The row erupted on 12 March when two Spanish fishing boats were accused of fishing with illegal fishing nets.
In fact a Gibraltarian was out fishing when he spotted the Spanish boats using nets and having artificial lights onboard to attract fish. He telephoned the police.
Thereafter the police asked Spanish fishing boats to leave Gibraltar waters.
This prompted Landaluce to go out fishing with Spanish boats to see for himself what the situation was. This led to his asking for a meeting with the Government here to establish what was allowed and what was not allowed under Gibraltar's nature protection legislation.
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo agreed with Landaluce that representatives of the fishermen potentially affected to meet with technical officers of the environment ministry and also to establish contact with the Commissioner of Police.
Following the Spanish protest, this whole issue could now take on a new dimension.
23-03-12
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