UK reassures support for Gibraltar after major incident with Spain in the Rock’s waters
UK reassured support for Gibraltar following Wednesday night’s incident when several Spanish Guardia Civil vessels and a helicopter were involved in a tense standoff with the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar Defence Police and the Royal Navy while the Spanish trawlers tried to cast nets in the Rock’s bay.
According to the Gibraltar media UK’s minister for Europe David Lidington called Chief Minister Fabian Picardo to express London’s position and support. Next week Foreign Secretary William Hague will be receiving his Spanish peer Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo in London to address bilateral issues including the Gibraltar long standing dispute.
During the incident the Guardia Civil ignored repeated warnings by the Royal Navy ordering the Spanish vessels to leave British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Britain claims three miles of territorial sea around Gibraltar but Spain does not recognise this.
Chief Minister Piccardo strongly condemned the Spanish incursion and described the incident as a“…obviously carefully premeditated challenge to our indisputable sovereignty, jurisdiction and control of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and our airspace”.
Picardo said decision makers in Spain should take their challenge on jurisdiction to the courts rather than seek confrontation at sea.
“Those who are orchestrating these dangerous confrontations need to come to their senses and accept the challenge, once and for all, to litigate their claims to our territory in the relevant international tribunals established for that purpose in the 21st century and not put people's safety and security at risk trying to advance their position out at sea as if in the 18th century,” he said.
British officials in Gibraltar also condemned the incident.
In a statement, the Convent (Gov House) commended the restraint and professionalism shown by the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar Defence Police and Royal Navy in dealing with what it described as “a protracted and difficult illegal incursion”.
“We call on all parties to the fishing dispute to show restraint and work towards a swift and peaceful resolution,” the statement said. “We welcome the constructive approach adopted by the La Linea fishermen and the Government of Gibraltar.”
From Madrid Interior minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, insisted Spain would not be “intimidated or humiliated” over the fishing dispute. “Our fishing vessels are going to be protected at all times and I am sure we will reach an understanding in the end. We're not going to accept intimidation or humiliation, which I am sure no-one wants, to make Spain suffer.”
Diaz claimed the RGB had apologised for the incident and insisted they had mistaken the Spanish fishermen from Algeciras for fishermen from the North African enclave of Ceuta.
The Spanish fishermen - based in the southern Spanish port city of Algeciras - say they are being prevented from fishing off the Rock in waters they claim as their own in breach of a 1999 agreement aimed at protecting fish numbers.
Picardo said fishing with nets in waters Gibraltar claims as its own is outlawed under a 1991 environmental law unless a licence is issued.
Minister García-Margallo when he meets Hague is expected to insist that Spanish fishermen be allowed to fish in “Spanish waters” around the Rock.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday the minister again called for a return to the 1999 fishing agreement, which he described as a “satisfactory” framework. Spain wants “dialogue, negotiation and good understanding” on this issue but also “respect for the rights of Spanish fishermen to fish in their waters”.
Garcia Margallo told reporters that he would raise the issue of bilateral sovereignty talks during his meeting with Hague next Tuesday. He said sovereignty was something to be resolved “exclusively” by the UK and Spain, “without the intervention of the authorities on the Rock”.
That position clashes with Britain’s oft-stated view that there can be no discussion on sovereignty without the agreement of the people of Gibraltar.
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Yeah because what has it to do with the inhabitants anyway, it's only their lives and their future being discussed....
So please explain to us why the hell gibralter should give up their terrirotial integretity by allowing spanish fishing vessels to fish in gibralters territorial waters, which would at the same time damage fish stocks and gibralters own fishing industry. Does spain let gibralters fishing fleet fish in spanish territorial waters, nope they don't so why should gibralter let spainish fishing tawlers fish in gibralters waters. Also spain ceded gibralter to the UK forever so they have no claim to gibralter or its waters.
They don't even try to conceal the purpose as it can't be considered anything but a deliberate provocation.
Have the Spanish really looked at the efforts of CFK and concluded “that's a good idea”
If so I can only conclude that they are a bit thick - especially if the Spanish population laps it up.
It's embarrassing.
The fishermen of La Linea have come to an understanding with the Gibraltar Government about the waters around Gib - its a pity that Algeciras can't do the same.
Every State has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baselines determined in accordance with this Convention.
Gibraltar is not a State. Why dont you read the Utretch treaty?
Under UNCLOS, Spain's TERRITORIAL sea extends for 12 miles around Ceuta. Same principle applies to Gibraltar. Why dont you read the Convention?
Territory illegally taken from a sovereign nation!!
It is amazing that Spain has had so much self control and tolerate this injustice for so long!!
Viva España.
Let Spain show us the way
The Spanish Zone
The Spanish protectorate over northern Morocco extended from Larache (El-Araish) on the Atlantic to 30 miles (48 km) beyond Melilla (already a Spanish possession) on the Mediterranean. The mountainous Tamazight-speaking area had often escaped the sultan’s control. Spain also received a strip of desert land in the southwest, known as Tarfaya, adjoining Spanish Sahara. In 1934, when the French occupied southern Morocco, the Spanish took Ifni.
You're a twit & you know it.
Oh you can't can you - Guess it was not illegally taken after all then!!
Whats really amazing retard is that the royal navy showed restrait and didn't blow the spanish vessels clean out of the water. Its a pity we did really as we would have been within our right to do so since they refused to leave gibralters territorial sea. If we had it would have taught the spanish a lesson!!
Gibraltar is a british colony, Dont have parliamentary representation (uk parliament) and all the proposals to join it to Uk were refused. If Gibraltar has the same rights, Why Gibraltar people cant vote the Uk goverment.
Ceuta and Melilla are part of spanish State like Madrid or Barcelona, for example.
You can see the political status is not the same.
British-spanish relationship about Gibraltar matters is governed by Utretch Treaty, I recomend reading it
14 That treaty you can stick it where it fits!! NO ENGLISH COLONIES IN EUROPE NOWWWWWWW!! UNDERSTAND??
And the Canary Islands?
Best let sleeping dogs lay!!
Fact is, Spain is heading for a bloody nose, and no mistake,
Another country lead by fools ,
Still the Spanish may yet vote CFK to become there leader,
22 aussie sunshine
just as we thought ,
you are ??
.
None of any Treaties can prolong its mission more than 30/40 years.
It always amazes me when some posters just make stuff up - no matter how stupid.
....or does this mean we're back to a state of war with Spain?
In English,”in perpetuity“ means ”forever”.
You're either a troll - in which case you're really bad at it, or a moron - in which case you're really good at it!
@18 Where did you get the idea that you had a clue what you are talking about? Ceuta and Melilla were part of the Kingdom of Fez, one of the four States of the King of Morocco. So give them back! No British Overseas Territory has direct representation in the UK parliament. That's the way we do things in OUR territories. And they have their own governments. And I've read the Treaty of Utrecht. You're talking horsesh*te.
@19 What's it to you? F*** off!
@22 Still beat the crap out of the French and Spanish at Trafalgar. Goes to show that any Brit is worth at least two from any other country.
@25 That's good! The United Nations was established by treaty. So it's invalid and we can do whatever we want!
This is not economic protectionism by the Rock, it is a simple matter of ensuring that there is sufficient natural resources and that they continue. The Algeciran fishermen know that they can fish with lines, but not with nets, but they are being greedy.
Under the circumstances, the RGP and Royal Navy are being very tolerant in preventing the matter escalating further.
However, it seems to me that the solution has to be economic. If these Algeciran fishermen are determined to fish with nets, then it would be best that they lost them.
A fishing net (depending on the size) costs thousands of Euros, tens of thousands if big enough. If they are determined to drop nets in Gibraltar waters, then we should see to it that they lose those nets immediately. If their fishing boats enter Gibraltar waters, then a diver or divers should be set down to cut the nets the moment their vessels are stopped.
Gibraltarian self determination is indisputable and Independence at any time they wish.
en.wikisource.org/wiki/UN_General_Assembly_Resolution_2070
en.wikisource.org/wiki/UN_General_Assembly_Resolution_2231
en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_2353
Aussie Sunshine (everyone's favourite RG troll) please read the wonderful history of the Gibraltarian people before posting rubbish.
Generally the Americans(US) use the “” Steve“” name not English !
Both a completely pointless and a completely untrue comment.
Have a good weekend everyone.
Treaty of Concordia ....1648
And your point is......
You should go and catch the nets of these fishermen from once on. Through some missiles (routine exercises you can say), perhaps they get “enredados” in the nets, but they wont be able to use it again and wont bother you anymore.
@40 Apache helicopter gunships are far more fun. Equipped, as you know, with an M230 chain gun that can cut straight through the hull of a boat. It also carries the CRV7 rockets with flechette rounds. The British Army has 8 squadrons of Apaches. Apaches can, of course, reach any Spanish vessel (Spanish navy, Guardia Civil, fishing boat, joyriding jet skis etc) far faster than any British vessel. Generally cruises at around 160mph.
Well I be be, fancy that! I've been calling my brother Steve for over 50 years and the plonkers been replying. He's not going to take this well, neither is his, wife, children and grandchildren.
Identity card name is “ Stephen ” not “ Steve ” !
Maximily !
Of course you are free society all of your identities hoarded in MI 6 depots.
Of course you are free society you can not elect your “ head of state” freely.
Fancy not knowing that Brits do not carry ID cards
I suppose, by your laws you have to carry one? or you would not have mentioned them. So you see, I have greater freedoms than you, freedom to be an individual, not a photograph on some government document.
You must pretend “ more loyalist than king ”” becouse you are afraid of MI 6 who tracks almost all of your interviews.
Torpedo would be a bit much. As for nuclear submarines, there's normally one or two SSNs in attendance at the Rock. Sometimes British, sometimes American!
As for those posters who claim that the Treaty of Utrecht only lasted 30 years (laughable) or that the UN Resolutions have any force at all, considering that they are contrary to Article 1 of the UN Charter and the right of the Gibraltarians to Self-Determination, then it is perfectly correct for Britain to protect the rights of the Gibraltarians to determine their own destiny. Spain gave up any rights to the Rock or her people when they ceded the title in perpetuity to Great Britain in 1713 and that is the end of it. If Spain wants to make an issue of it, then they'll find out like Argentina, that Britain fought 2 world wars and the Falklands war to protect the rights of individuals to determine their own destiny.
In a desperate attempt to appear more Australian, starts using the word 'dunny'... A bit like someone pretending to be Scottish and turning up in a Kilt.
Have you remembered the name of that hot wind that sweeps through Melbourne in the summer?
You've had enough time by now to fly from BsAs to Melbourne(where you say that you come from,ha ha)to find out.
So come on, Mr Melbournite, enlighten us all with your new knowledge.
l have lived in Australia & l say that you are a fake.
and Spain why dont you make a decree not letting gibraltarian ships entering to spanish ports, Gibraltar is a bot, they should use the british flag, they bother you not letting you fish, bother you them.
These brits are so pathetics.
@58 “through” and “throw” are not pronounced in the same way, moron. Spain can't do that because it's in the EU. Free movement, you know. But the next step will be to (accidentally) sink some spanish fishing boats. We can watch them fishing from the seabed. Argies might want to note. That submarine isn't there for fun. But think of all those (terrible) accidents where fishing boats have got their nets tangled with submarines and been dragged under. Next time an argie fishing boat doesn't come back, think on!
he is an argie, in argentina, pretending to be elsewhere ,
and thinks we will fall for it,
silly boy,
we all know aussie immigration does not let in banned items,
including him or her .lol
MI6 does operate in UK.
and the point .
not all the spooks are name,
are they not
67 The same way you hunt foxes and run horses to their death in so
called “ Horse races” by the way I hate bullfights and anything that makes animals suffer!!
65 it is not the same, It is not about the fish, it is about Gibraltar..who cares a sh*** about fish... IT IS POLITICS.
Why should l tell you?
lf you really come from Melbourne as you say, then you would know.
You obviously don't know, ergo you don't come from Melbourne.
Not too many Aussies say “blimey” anymore.
Thats about 2 generations back.
When you're in a hole amigo, stop digging.
Anyone from Australia (where they race as many horses as they do over here or in any other country) would know that horses die in horse racing just as much as they do in their paddocks at home. Horses die - life is a fatal disease.
Everyone on the board knows that aussie sunshine is really an idiot from Argentina, so carry on baiting him, because he wants to play the fool.
He must have been dropped on his head at birth to be such a moron.
Your understanding of your rights seems to be to do whatever you can get away with. Spain signed the UNCLOS, and now disregards it when it comes to Gibralter. As for disregarding Gib's ban on netting to preserve fish stocks, it's no surprise Spanish fishermen would ignore such a law to continue stripping the oceans bare.
What a ridiculous statement. UNCLOS is not a UN resolution - it sets maritime boundaries and The UK and Spain are signatories.
Are you aware that its illegal in Alcegiras to fish with trawl nets, but Canete was in Algeciras last week encouraging the fishermen to trawl in Gibraltar waters?
It's a shame that the fishermen in Algeciras are being used as a smokescreen by the PP to hide Spain's economic problems.
On the other hand Gibraltar and UK authorities are not respecting spanish borders and the Treaty of Utrecht.
Spain's reliance on Utrecht in this regard is rendered unfounded by virtue of Article 310 of UNCLOS. I suggest you familiarise yourself with it before posting more inaccuracies.
You might want to ask yourself why invitations from successive Gibraltarian governments (most recently Mr Picardo last week) for Spain to litigate the claims is met with silence?
Sahara colony. Where thousands of Moroccons marched into the colony and Spain had to evacuate. Thousands of Spanish should march into Gibraltar..NOW.
69 HAHAHAH not such thing as summer winds!!?? hey GOTCHA!
70 The only Moron on this site is you!! but you don´t know it yet..hahahaha
You are pathetic,
Your English is stilted. You are not an Aussie.
Why don't you google the wind, you may find the answer?
lf you can't l may tell you then you can google that.
Why didn't you pretend to be Chinese? l couldn't have trapped you then. lol lol lol lol
Err....yes, because it wouldn't be a BRITISH international dispute otherwise would it!
Maybe you could put that dormant organ inside your head to better use, and just concentrate on breathing.
My fault for not thinking for you, I beg your pardon...
Losers a normally envy, with jealousy
And we expect nothing less .
Change the subject.
Nobody is having a go at you for killing Indians in North America...
I'm talking about present colonization, not past one. We are a product of Spanish colonization, not colonialists ourselves. You are colonialists to this day...
I'm not proud of what the Spaniards, and the first Uruguayan governments, did to the natives, and I don't defend it. You, on the other half, DO defend the British colonizations. Again, do not project your colonialism on me
They could be colonist, they could be prisoners
They could be French or German,
They could even be from the planet mars,
But the FACT is,
They are NOT Argentinean, full stop.
.
It would mean massive unemployment in their region of Galicia where most of their trawlers are based.
the spannish will push .
The site also asks it's members to vote for “Do you approve of the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar?”
Visit GibBook.com to vote and see the results.
[easy]
NO
Asked and answered. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibraltar_sovereignty_referendum,_2002
and seeing the british as weak,
no other exuses are needed .
The situation got so heated that both sides sent patrol ships and frigates ( the spanish publicly lied about this, stating that they were not going to do anything ) to the area after the fishermen on both sides started firing at each other.
One of the spanish patrol ships “accidently” sank 2 of the canadian trawlers by gunfire. The situation was resolved peacefully, but had the potential to turn really nasty.
@:92 after argentina disbands itslf and hands it's land back to the natives and after spain hands back it's north african territories back to morrocco.
l could hand you your hat!
What's the name of that wind melbourne boy?
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