Spanish fishermen took to the country’s waters over the weekend to stage a protest over an artificial reef which they say restricts their rights to fish.
It is understood that around 30 vessels sailed from the Confradias in La Linea and Algeciras along with Spanish Guardia Civil vessels with the hope of removing the 70 concrete blocks that form the reef in Algeciras Bay.
The disputes are only the latest in the row between Britain and Spain over the British Overseas Territory.
The blocks were sunk by Gibraltar authorities last month in a bid to prevent fishing in the area for environmental reasons and to boost stocks, due to regular fishing in the area using illegal dragging methods to catch shellfish in a protected zone.
Gibraltar says the decision to create the artificial reef was welcomed by Greenpeace and Spanish environmental groups.
In response to the reef, Spain has imposed strict checks to traffic crossing the border that have led to lengthy delays, a move that PM David Cameron has dubbed “disproportionate and politically motivated”.
The UK has apparently accused Spain of breaking EU free movement rules and warns Madrid not to raise tensions further by charging people for crossing into the territory.
Despite the protests, the Government of Gibraltar said in a statement: “These Spanish fishermen are welcome to continue to fish in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters as long as they do so in keeping with Gibraltar Law.”
Meanwhile, Spain says it hopes to get a response to an official report filed to the European Commission over the “attack against the environment”, which “poses a significant obstacle to fishing activity”.
