Spain and UK Clash Over Gibraltar’s Waters: Recent Incidents Bring Territory Dispute to the Forefront

Gibraltar’s waters are still rough. The struggle between Spain and the United Kingdom for this territory is once again in the spotlight after the incidents that have been occurring during the month of August in waters near the Rock, making the usual activity of Spanish fishermen difficult. A classic in the area.

Last Monday, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, filed a formal complaint with the United Kingdom embassy in Madrid in which he expressed “his strongest protest” at the events that occurred. Albares remarked that Spain does not recognize the British colony more waters than those inside the port and warned that our country “will continue to exercise its sovereignty in Spanish waters in the same way that it has done since time immemorial.”

The Gibraltarian Government did not take long to pronounce itself. Fabián Picardo’s Executive responded to Spain’s complaint by reaffirming that the waters in which the events denounced by Albares had occurred were British and not Spanish sovereignty. “The Government of Gibraltar has no doubts about the British sovereignty of the waters surrounding Gibraltar”, they stated at the same time that they recommended that “unnecessary incidents in them should be avoided, since they pose a risk to the crews of the vessels involved”. . Finally, they stressed that they were confident that Spain’s complaints would not affect the negotiation of the post-Brexit agreement.

Now José Antonio Landaluce, mayor of Algeciras (Cádiz) and the Organization of Artisanal Fisheries Producers Conil/La Atunara (OPP72) come into play, who have spoken out in the face of this conflict that, according to the fishermen, “should have been resolved for many years”.

The manager of OPP72, Nicolás Fernández, thanked the Minister for Foreign Affairs for his intervention, considering that “these calls for attention are necessary”, but warned that the pressure from the Gibraltarian authorities, far from ceasing, has continued in recent days. Apparently, this Thursday “they have once again pressured and coerced another boat”, facts that he intends to transfer today to the mayor of Línea de la Concepción, Juan Franco, with whom he has a meeting.

The fishermen, who last week demanded that the governments of Spain and the Rock sit down to talk and establish the limits of the waters in which national boats can fish, assure that they are not willing to give up. “We are not going to stop fighting, we are going to continue showing that it is an abuse by the Gibraltar authorities,” said Fernández. In addition, he warned: “Either they finally sit down and take action on the matter or they will have to put security forces and the army so that the fishermen can fish.”

“They must establish the limits of the waters in which national vessels can fish”

For his part, Landaluce also thanked the mediation of Foreign Affairs, but regretted that Albares’s position on Gibraltar and the fishermen arrived “a month late.”

He also rejected the Rock’s accusations that Spanish ships are “attacking” their own and added that the reality is that “Gibraltar is attacking Customs Surveillance vessels and Spanish fishermen who are only looking for a livelihood.”

Landaluce requested that an agreement be materialized as soon as possible that reaches “an area of ​​shared prosperity” and seeks “the best” for the citizens on both sides of the fence, but “while recognizing that the waters are Spanish, that we have to seek co-sovereignty”. According to the mayor of Algeciras, «Gibraltar has no jurisdictional waters; the waters are from Spain».

The last three incidents on the Rock

The latest Foreign Office complaint refers to three incidents. The first, on July 1, is related to the spill of fuel by a methane tanker while refueling from another ship. The second occurred on August 14, when a Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) vessel saw its work hindered by three British vessels and the last one took place on August 21, when a Spanish fishing vessel was also harassed in nearby waters. to Gibraltar.

2023-09-01 00:23:10
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