May 23 - Is It “Aqui Si Se Pesca”? Asks The GSD
The GSD has today said that, over four years after the GLSP-Liberals were first elected into Government in 2011 with a manifesto pledge that they would put an end to fishing with nets and raking in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (“BGTW”) the practice continues unabated.
According to the party, only this week, three Spanish fishing boats were clearly seen and photographed raking on the west side of runway very near the artificial reef. The Opposition adds that it has received reports that although these fishing boats were accompanied by a Guardia Civil vessel in the early hours of the morning they were on their own later “for quite some time”. The party says this is by no means an isolated incident and the artificial reef, whilst successful in regenerating marine life, has also attracted Spanish Fishermen to it, and they have been able to fish in the area “without sufficient deterrent.” Unfortunately, says the Opposition, there are also complaints from local fishermen, that the law is being enforced against them and not Spanish Fishermen.
Trevor Hammond, Shadow Minister for the Environment said: “It would be arrogant of the Government to suggest that it has dealt with this problem. The fact is that the rule of law in BGTW is being breached on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. The Nature Protection Act is not being enforced against these fishermen, the recommendations of the Government’s own fishing report are being ignored and this must join the long list of 2011 manifesto pledges which the Government has failed to deliver. It begs the question: whatever happened to the “aqui no se pesca” slogan of the GSLP-Liberals when they were first elected.”
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