Below follows a statement from the Gibraltar Tuna Fishing Club following issues experienced at sea with the Guardia Civil:

The Gibraltar Tuna Fishing Club is dismayed at the actions of the Guardia Civil over the last  two weeks during Gibraltar’s Bluefin Tuna Open Season, and calls on the Royal Navy and Royal  Gibraltar Police to respond faster and have a permanent presence in BGTW.  

Over the last two weeks, the Guardia Civil (“GC”) has sent its fisheries vessel down to Gibraltar  on a daily basis to interfere with local boats fishing for bluefin tuna. The GC’s main fisheries  vessel also has the capacity to hold a RHIB which it deploys at will around BGTW.  

Last week, we saw an incident involving one of our members who was fishing alongside his  80-year-old father. Whilst within BGTW the GC’s main vessel, together with the RHIB,  attempted to board our member’s boat. As he attempted to escape, the two GC vessels  conducted highly dangerous manoeuvres, and formed a dangerous wake in front of our  member’s boat in an attempt to hinder or even damage and sink the vessel. Such  manoeuvres, when someone is entirely innocent and is merely fishing with his family are  unacceptable, highly dangerous and nothing other than unlawful.  

Sadly, this is just one example of the GC’s disgraceful conduct within BGTW.  

This morning too, the GC carried out another unacceptable interference with a Gibraltar  registered vessel within BGTW. Whilst hooked up to a tuna, two local fishermen noticed the  GC’s RHIB heading towards them, whilst within BGTW. The RHIB then proceeded to knock  against the vessel several times in an attempt to board it and arrest the individuals concerned  and/or confiscate the fishing gear being used. The local vessel then was forced to cut the  fishing line and head towards Gorham’s Cave. Whilst there, the GC vessel then proceeded to  harass it and it was not until HM Customs Gibraltar boarded the local boat that they backed  off.  

Our members are extremely distressed at these recurring incidents. The fact is that our  members are doing nothing wrong. They are fishing, as prescribed by the laws of Gibraltar,  within the waters belonging to Gibraltar. Any interference of such activity by the GC is simply  intolerable and can very easily lead to serious damage to property and more importantly to  serious injury.  

Unfortunately, however, the response of the Royal Navy and the Royal Gibraltar Police to  these incidents has been wholly insufficient. The Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron proclaims  to have, as its mission, “to uphold the security of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and to  protect any British, NATO and allied ships that pass through them.” The Royal Gibraltar  Police’s Marine Section also proclaims that its main role “is the enforcement of Gibraltar Laws  in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.” Sadly, when it comes to incursion such as these and  the protection of Gibraltar fishing vessels in BGTW, both entities’ responses have been found  lacking.  

The GTFC calls on the Royal Navy and the RGP to have a permanent presence in or around the  eastern side of BGTW, where hundreds of locals are currently fishing. The Club also calls on 

them to be more robust in their responses and to act swiftly when notified of the GC’s  presence in our waters. Sadly, we all know that the only way to deal with a bully such as the  GC is to stand up to them. At present, the GC is bullying local boats with minimal reaction  from the Royal Navy and the RGP. This, is unacceptable.  

Note: The Club would like to thank HM Customs Gibraltar and the Department of the  Environment for their speedy responses to similar incidents over the last two weeks. HM  Customs Gibraltar in particular has often been the saving grace for many local boats when  harassed by the GC, and the Department of the Environment has been very present in our  waters throughout and willing to help.