Oc 08 - GSD Says Cortes Interview On Nets Was "Evasive"

Written by YGTV Team on 08 October 2015.

The interview which Minister Cortes gave to GBC on Government policy on fishing with nets must rank as one of the most evasive ever seen on our screens, the GSD has said.

A statement from the GSD said: "On one level it simply continues to demonstrate that this Government is incapable of being honest with the electorate on the big issues of the day: the public finances, LNG, fishing with nets, the Stadium, the award of contracts and jobs without tenders or advertisement, employment and training. In relation to each of these issues the Government just simply refuses to be honest, open and transparent; often providing half the picture and refusing to answer the really important questions.

"On another level, it completes the transformation of Minister Cortes from someone who claimed to put the environment before politics, to someone who is clearly putting his party’s electoral prospects above genuine environment concerns which he championed when he led GOHNS. Quite frankly we have also seen this in his statements on the power station and associated LNG storage facilities.

"His answers yesterday were a catalogue of flimsy excuses and evasion.

"He is expecting the electorate to believe that two years ago when the Government amended the Nature Protection Act to allow for regulations to be introduced permitting fishing with certain types of nets, there was “evidence” suggesting those regulations were needed, but today there is no such evidence but tomorrow there might be evidence. What evidence?"

The Leader of the Opposition Daniel Feetham said: “The simple truth appears to be that the Government plan to introduce those regulations, but are afraid to have those plans scrutinised prior to the election. That is why they have repeatedly refused to answer questions In Parliament as to whether Spanish Fishermen will be required to come to Gibraltar to apply for a licence or whether they will be deemed licensed by virtue of their membership of the Algeciras or La Linea Fishing Guilds.  That is not honest politics." 

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