Sep 05 Proposal to change law to allow sustainable fishing is not new
In his intervention before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Parliament yesterday, the Spanish Foreign Minister said:
“I get good news this afternoon - that Gibraltar authorities are willing to amend Gibraltar protection law of nature of 1991 for our fishermen to return to where they used to fish. Again, we do not recognise the jurisdiction of Gibraltar but we welcome this gesture as a gesture of good will if it is in the benefit of our fishermen. We expect it to be true."
The Government wish to make it clear that its policy objective of amending the Nature Protection Act and allowing some fishing by Spanish and other fishermen in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) using lawful methods of fishing is not new.
This is a long-standing policy which has been explained on several occasions both in public and in private over the last twelve months.
Indeed, this objective was explained directly to the Spanish fishermen themselves during meetings that were held in No 6 Convent Place.
It will be recalled that shortly after coming to power in December 2011, the Government sought to regularise the fishing methods being used inside BGTW, some of which were clearly contrary to the 1991 Nature Protection Act and had resulted in over-fishing of certain areas.
Genyka Celecia has recently graduated this past July as a British registered Teacher in Classical Ballet, at the Royal Academy of Dance.
