Spanish commercial fishermen could be returning to local waters today after an eight month impasse caused by the Gibraltar government’s decision to abolish the 1999 Fishing Agreement at the beginning of the year.
During this period, fishermen have not been allowed to operate in waters around the Rock as Government opted for a strict application of the Gibraltar Nature Protection Act which bans all use of fishing nets.
The restriction has led to increased tensions at sea and numerous incidents involving fishing vessels escorted by the Guardia Civil in stand-offs with the local law enforcement agencies and even Royal Navy patrols.
Concern about the possibility of a repetition of the ugly scenes lived in the late 1990’s, and the deterioration of cross-border relations when a Spanish vessel was arrested by the RG Police, prompted both sides to agree to a process of negotiations to explore the possibility of a mutually acceptable solution.
During these past months, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the cofradias’ and vessel owners of La Linea and Algeciras have been locked in intense discussions to come up with a formula that protects the marine environment while allowing a degree of fishing to be carried out.
The Gibraltar government also set up a commission of experts, which later included Spanish scientists, to compile a technical report into aspects of fishing including biological factors, types of species in the area, exact volume of catches and origin of the fish caught. Although the report has not been finalised and not much detail of its content has emerged, the fishermen have expressed confidence that the beginning of the end of the conflict could be at hand.
Speaking to the Chronicle yesterday fishermen spokesman Pedro Maza (FAAPE) said that an agreement in principle had been reached with Mr Picardo and that they were now waiting for the recommendations of the technical report. He said this would lay down the parameters of the fishing activity although to date the document had not been finalised.
We expect that the issue will now be advanced toward a conclusion and toward an agreement that will be beneficial all round and mark a return to fishing normality which has been our aim from the outset, said Sr Maza.
He could not confirm which of the vessels would be coming to Gibraltar waters today as decisions are taken individually but expressed the hope that there will be no further problems.
Sr Maza added that the last remaining obstacle had been the scientists’ request for the location of all fish catches to be identified, noting that they would be willing to separate’ fish in order to comply with this.
For their part, the La Linea fishermen will be resuming their activities in waters around Gibraltar today, Juan Morente spokesman for the vessel owners of the neighbouring city confirmed yesterday.
Sr Morente said August 16th was the day that had been agreed with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo to resume their fishing activities.
He said some fishermen had already announced that they would be returning to Gibraltar’s waters today but noted that it was the season of the melva’ so many vessels would be going to other areas.
Sr Morente declared it was expected there would be no harassment from the police launches after the agreed date.
He said there had been no additional information related to the technical report into fishing and biological aspects of fish stocks in these waters that the commission of experts is compiling.
There is goodwill on both sides so the report should be available shortly, he declared. “This should be the start to the end of tension and a return to normality, he added.
2009 Gibraltar Chronicle The Independent Daily