Apr 12 - Macaque Misunderstanding Continues Between Government and Opposition
In response to Opposition Minister for the Environment, Jaime Netto’s letter to Dr. Cortes, on the issue of Ape Management in Gibraltar the Environment Minister insists that the movement of wild animals cannot be fully controlled. He adds that culling monkeys is only a short-term measure.
Dr. Cortes also insisted that the Opposition is being ‘worse than cheap’ and grossly irresponsible for almost hoping that more monkey bites will occur. He also states that the GSD position has caused Dr. Cortes real embarrassment when talking to international experts. He insists that the GSD left the current Government with a poorly managed macaque population.
In response, the Opposition noted that it does not want to get engaged in the blame game despite the fact that the management authority for the macaques during much of the period in question was GONHS, which at the time was substantially run by Dr Cortes.
They insist that culling is a necessary measure of last resort and for many of the people, whose daily lives are being blighted by this problem, is a measure which the Government should consider implementing very soon indeed. Fire crackers and loud noise, they claim, will not solve the problem.
Mr. Netto stated, ‘as for the letter which I sent Dr Cortes, with the benefit of hindsight perhaps I should not have published it until he had had an opportunity to respond, but the reality is that it is an issue of significant public interest and people generally are entitled to keep abreast of the arguments. In that spirit, I will do as I have been charged by the Leader of the Opposition, which is to engage Dr Cortes positively and constructively on this and other environmental issues. In this regard, his response to my letter does not deal with the issues I have raised nor addresses my concern. Rather than enter into a ping pong exchange, I would much rather meet with the Minister to discuss the issue face to face.’
