Monday, December 17, 2018 - 11:15 Leo Olivero

Protection of British waters a BIG DECEPTIVE SPIN

It now looks much of the public and media are being taken for fools by the enforcement the ‘Royal Gibraltar Police’ who have now retorted to issuing deceptive statements the RGP’s operational illegal fishing enforcement of pertinent laws. Which is not as the Police are now depicting, and as the public on a daily bases evidence themselves by presenting video footage and photo’s to demonstrate police law enforcement is practically zero.

Fishing laws exist not only to protect the environment as the ‘1991 nature protection act’ name implies, but also to protect, defend and guard the integrity of BGTW which the RGP literally according to many do not enforce this important policing duty which has national and political implications of the highest order because ‘Sovereignty of BGTW’ clearly comes into play!

The Commissioner of Police has operational responsibility for the RGP and “exercises normal policing discretion when taking decisions on operational matters. Today there are no ambiguous shady fishing agreements with illegal Spanish fishing practices as was the case in the late 1990’s. Back then illegal fishing was allowed which blurred the enforcement aspect of this problem. I know personally, because for years I commanded the policing of this idiotic senseless fishing agreement concocted by the previous administration. An agreement entered into without proper policing advice, which remained, but was never introduced into legislation. This made life hugely difficult for the enforcement agencies like the police who have always been the lead enforcement agency, particularly where repeat offenders where concerned because of the ‘powers of arrest’ aspect of this law.

Today - the RGP Commissioner and his senior staff have no blurry bits of legislation. ‘Illegal fishing is simple to define’. However, if the Royal Gibraltar Police decide, as they appear to be doing to ignore and not enforce the pertinent legislation by taking a unilateral and dangerous policing decision by the Commissioner of Police. Sooner or later someone will be made accountable – Panorama, as we have said all along will not let this go or allow ourselves to be taken as blind fools by the police or anyone else!