Thursday, June 14th 2012 - 13:29 UTC

UK to “deter and challenge” any incursion by Spanish state vessels into Gibraltar waters

Britain’s Armed Forces Minister, Nick Harvey, said the Royal Navy would “deter and challenge” any incursion by Spanish state vessels into British waters around the Rock. Minister Harvey was responding to questions from Labour MPs in the House of Commons about recent incursions by Spanish Guardia Civil vessels.

Britain’s Armed Forces Minister, Nick Harvey made the statement during question time in Parliament

The answers were released on Monday, coinciding with the arrival in Gibraltar of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Prince Edward on Tuesday visited the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron and inspected the unit’s patrol boats as part of the Royal visit, which has angered the Spanish government.

The Gibraltar Squadron is tasked with protecting the territorial integrity of British waters. Britain claims three miles of territorial sea around Gibraltar but Spain says those waters are Spanish.

“The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron will continue to deter and challenge all marine incursions which threaten the integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters,” Mr Harvey said. “In line with standing orders, appropriate warnings have been issued in response to each recent incursion.”

“The Ministry of Defence remains absolutely committed to ensuring the defence and security of Gibraltar, its residents and British Gibraltar Territorial Waters” underlined Minister Harvey.

Harvey’s answers in the Commons follow the tense stand-offs at sea after Guardia Civil vessels escorted Spanish fishermen into Gibraltar waters. On each of those occasions the Spanish vessels were ordered out by the Royal Navy and protests were made through diplomatic channels.

However following a meeting in London between British Foreign Secretary William Hague and his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel García-Margallo, things have calmed and focused attention on a local solution and the work of a technical group comprised of Gibraltar Government officials, environmental experts and representatives of the Spanish fishermen.

Since then, the fishermen have stayed away from British waters while the talks continue.

Mr Harvey revealed that at the height of the fishing dispute when incursions became a nightly occurrence, Guardia Civil vessels were warned to leave British Gibraltar Territorial Waters on nine separate occasions within the space of a week.
 

Published in: Politics, International.
Tags: Gibraltar, Nick Harvey, Spain.

13 comments Feed

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1 ChrisR (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 01:58 pm Report abuse
“Guardia Civil vessels were warned to leave British Gibraltar Territorial Waters on nine separate occasions within the space of a week.”

The answer to that is to sink the bastards, they won't be back then!
2 Logorrhea Alert (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 02:05 pm Report abuse
Here's something to ponder: If the Spanish Government's programs of Gleichschaltung turn out to be shiftless—if they weave the Spanish Government's namby-pamby traits, oppressive musings, and costive propositions into a rich tapestry that is sure to waste everyone else's time—then how do we set about salvaging the tattered remains of our society? As you ponder the answer to that question, consider that for the nonce, the Spanish Government is content to twist the history, sociology, and anthropology disseminated by our mass media and in our children's textbooks. But as soon as our backs are turned, it will send unconscionable, laughable dipsomaniacs on safari holidays instead of publicly birching them.

Is there, or is there not, a ludibrious plot to interfere with efforts to unite rich and poor, young and old, organized through the years by meretricious adulterers? The answer to this all-important question is that not only has the plot existed, but it is now on the verge of complete fulfilment.

In closing this post, let me point out that I would be remiss if I didn't remind you that we have not only a right but also a responsibility to upbraid the Spanish Government for being so semi-intelligible.
3 Idlehands (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 02:27 pm Report abuse
I don't think sinking Spanish ships is the done thing in EU waters.

I assume they are relying on that concept being true.
4 Britninja (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 02:33 pm Report abuse
Tempting as it is to blow them out of the water, they're not worth the ordnance. All Royal Navy vessels in the area should just be equipped with giant scissors. When the dozy twats come back to fish, snip through their expensive nets. Repeat as necessary.
5 Martin Woodhead (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 02:50 pm Report abuse
The civil guard boats can really motor when a volley of 84mm anti tank rounds are fired in there general direction.
Opps never let a junior officer run a range :(
6 Idlehands (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 03:40 pm Report abuse
What we need is an Astute to accidentally get caught in the netting and drag the trawler down to Davy Jones' Locker.

Strong message wrapped up in plausible deniability.
7 Conqueror (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 05:13 pm Report abuse
In the “good old days” Royal Navy minesweepers were equipped with ”cable cutters! These were dragged along under the sea surface and cut the mooring lines of mines. Might work just as well on Spanish illegal fishing nets.
8 GreekYoghurt (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 06:27 pm Report abuse
This reminds me of during the Falklands war when the Spanish Police picked up some Argies trying to Bomb british shipping in Gibraltar and the Spanish took them out for dinner, had photos with them and then sent them back to Argentina complete with their materials.

Spanish speakers.... not to be trusted.
9 cLOHO (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 07:06 pm Report abuse
Cut from the same cloth me thinks, untrustworthy, sly , humiliated in the shadow of GB
10 briton (#) Jun 14th, 2012 - 09:22 pm Report abuse
They both perceive us as weak,
And as long as we act weak, we will be .
.
11 Conqueror (#) Jun 15th, 2012 - 01:30 pm Report abuse
@10 So let's send a squadron of Typhoons, a squadron of Apaches and how about the RN's fishery protection vessels? Three 1,677 tonne River class patrol vessels. And some minesweepers to cut the lines to the nets. And buoys all along the marine “border”. And I'm not kidding! Typhoons for “top-cover”. Apaches for patrol and “dissuasion”. River class to dissuade Spanish “state” vessels.
12 aussie sunshine (#) Jun 15th, 2012 - 02:23 pm Report abuse
Close the gates now!! No contact whatsoever with the “ LLANITOS”.
And not only the border but also the ports......

Conqueror too much mouth in this forum..kill this kill that!! I bet you have not even been in the military.....and if you were to go into battle you´D probably bog your pants and call out for MAMA MAMA!!!
I have heard and seen blokes like you...too much talk and no action...
You do not hear the Spanish using military threats against anyboby but
your MR Harvey insists in FORCE..probably another wanker who has
never done military service....
13 Conqueror (#) Jun 16th, 2012 - 05:58 pm Report abuse
@12 Now, now, now “over the top”, bigmouth. Can you “kill” a fishing net? Point at one word that says “kill”. You're an argie for sure. “Look, the nasty British man is getting up. He's attacking me!” Now if you kept up you would know that armed Guardia Civil vessels regularly trespass in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Crewed by armed para-military Guardia Civil. Who have, in the past, landed illegally on Gibraltar and chased through the streets, even firing their weapons. And yes, locally, the Spanish have called for the assistance of the Spanish Navy to back up the Guardia Civil. You're quite right in one aspect, they don't make military threats. They just use military force. As for my background, guess away. I don't give a toss what you think. But I'll tell you one thing. No matter how “big” you are, I've taken down bigger. Officially. For Britain.

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