Is the problem the Fishing in our waters?

Is the problem the fishing

As we have been stating for a very long time the fishing is not the problem!

In the panorama r3ecently there was an article from the Fishermen who state Gibraltar is not the problem and neither is the fishing!

They acknowledge the problem is with their Spanish Government!

Read on
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La Linea fishermen say Gibraltar not
the problem, the problem is from within!

by Leo Olivero
The Head of the La Linea (La Atunara) fishing sector ‘Leoncio Fernandez’ has no doubt who is to blame for the present critical situation of next doors fishing industry.
The head of the neighbouring fishing sector recently told the press of his desperation, particularly the manner the ‘La Linea fishermen have been abandoned by their own politicians’. “Things are bad, no one remembers us. We cannot go out to sea, we cannot fish, we are not allowed to fish any kind of shall fish, the truth is that the whole La Linea fishing fleet is unable to fish, no one is prepared to help us.

Everything is for the fishing sector in Barbate” Fernandez added
Fernandez: Gibraltar Not The Problem, Problem is From Within
Fernandez was clear regarding Gibraltar, when asked that the problem started with the harassment by the Gibraltar Police of local spanish fishermen, he said “the problem is now from within. The Andalusian Parliament refuses to open (shell fish) fishing grounds, we’ve hardly had any income since the start of 2013"

He said “the harassment by the Gibraltar police has stopped, but that is not the biggest problem” Fernandez continued ‘at the moment there is no fishing activity because there is no future at all’. He said no one remembers them, this fishing sector is abandoned. It’s incredible that no politician has helped us; we have been in port since Christmas. No one remembers us here, Politican’s no one. You only hear about Barbate and Morocco, no one comes near La Atunara, we need solutions’ he said.

Nothing We Didn’t Know About From This Side Of The Frontier!
It really didn’t need Mr. Fernandez to inform everyone that the present problem the La Linea and Algeciras fishing fraternity are currently enduring is down to their own government. Particularly in the hypercritical manner the Spanish authorities go about savagely restricting fishing by closing down popular fishing grounds for environmental purposes.

I say hypercritical in the sense, that the Spanish Government then sees it perfectly alright to aggressively demand that the Gibraltar Government allow these same illegal fishing practices to take place in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

Personally since before the start of this issue, there’s ‘hell of a lot more’ that meets the eye to the fishing problem. Not only from a Spanish political perspective, but from the fishermen themselves, who I believe do not really know what they want. They could be politically confused, caused by their own government. The fishermen do not seem to know ‘if they are tied up in port having a tinto on the quay side or out at sea raking up and causing havoc to the seabed!

Fernandez said yesterday that there were 52 fishing vessels tied up in La Linea that had not gone out to fish since Christmas. He also said there were over 1000 dependent families who live off the sea or engaged in the local fishing industry; he informed that literally these people are going through some extremely difficult economic times.

All Spanish Politic Ploy!
What I cannot understand is why more La Linea fishing vessels have not bothered to leave port on the short excursion to join the 2 or 3 others who regularly fish, rake or do as they please in BGTW, especially when they are under the protection of the state paramilitary forces. Fernandez himself said that at the moment, they are not being harassed by the local authorities. What’s stopping them then!

Could the truth be that Fishing in Local Waters was never the lucrative, rewarding or life saving fishing ground the Spanish government and many fishermen themselves made out? The truth is as most of us guessed, that it was another political Spanish ploy by the PP machinery in Madrid to further the sovereignty claim over Gibraltar. A point that appears to be a hell of a lot more plausible and consistent if one analyses the present scenario!

Illegal Fishing Not Allowed in Spain
The local scenario has been pretty much the same for many months with only the same 2 or 3 La Linea fishing vessels regularly appearing on the scene on both sides of the Rock. There’s hardly been any fishing boats from Algeciras s bothering to come over and make money to feed the so called hungry families, who we were all told depended on fishing in local waters to survive!

Ridiculously, the illegal fishing practice of raking for shell fish, is something the Spanish fishermen obviously know they cannot do in their own national waters, simply because laws in Spain do not allow it. They also know that if they do the Guardia Civil will arrest or fine them and confiscate their equipment. But what is so ironic about all this, is the hypocrisy of it all, these same paramilitary forces who enforce their own fishing laws, then accompany the fishermen to local waters to rake, rape and take away whatever they like from our waters, whilst the local authorities it seems - sit and watch!

I will say what I have said quite a few times over the years on the policing point:
In my opinion, the politics surrounding the fishing/sovereignty dilemma has taken priority over the fundamental policing enforcement making element. This in my experience will always create a negative situation that directly hinders the police from making rational policing operational decisions!

20-02-13
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SO FCO please take note that there is no need for the Guardia Civil incursions like there is no need for the border queue there is right now of over two hours!


Wake up FCO - UK GOvernment and deal with the issues! Protect your British Citizens in Gibraltar against the bully that Spain is!


Anne-Marie Struggles!