GBC NEWS
Wednesday 19 June 15:39
Spain makes formal complaint over Gibraltar's stance on fishing
Date: 18 August 2012 at 02:00
Despite having claimed that the fishing dispute was a matter to be sorted out between the Spanish fishermen's representatives and Gibraltar, Madrid has intervened at the first real stumbling block to an agreement. It made a formal complaint to Britain on Friday, when the expert report's recommendations not to allow fishing, were made public. According to the Spanish press, the Spanish Foreign Ministry sent a note to Britain's embassy in Madrid to "express its displeasure" at Gibraltar upholding a ban on fishing with nets. It claims the issue is purely political and has nothing to do with fishing or the environment.
Spain reportedly argues that this contravenes the 1999 agreement and has asserted its claim to sovereignty over the waters. It adds that Spanish fishermen should be able to fish freely in Spanish waters with no limitations other than those imposed by Spanish law and European regulations. To allow the fishermen to do this, Madrid says the Civil Guards will accompany them on a daily basis, with the sole aim of protecting them so they can get on with their business.
For their part, representatives of the Spanish fishermen are to ask the King to intervene in the conflict. The fishermen state they're going out to fish in the early hours of Monday morning. They add that tensions are such, that the situation is ready to explode.
