Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 10:38

There were three incursions by the Spanish of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, encouraged by the weak response from the the British Forces Command, in allowing such unfriendly incursions to continue to take place over the years, are allowing Madrid to increasingly claim that the waters are Spanish.

A state vessel belonging to 'Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera' seemingly went on to engage a local boat in British territorial waters. The UK response is just an ineffective standard protest note.

The UK defence journal said that a Spanish naval vessel Furor entered the territorial waters of Gibraltar, with the Royal Navy vessel HMS Sabre responding.

Royal Navy patrol vessels are often called into action to intercept Spanish naval vessels that have manoeuvred too close to the British territory.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that the vessel was challenged by the Royal Navy, confirming that an incursion by the Spanish navy had occurred.

HMS Sabre is a Scimitar class fast patrol boat, commissioned into the Gibraltar Squadron in January 2003 along with her sister Scimitar. The vessel is used for police, customs and rescue purposes.

The Spanish have long been claiming British territorial waters. A report in our 'From the Panorama archives' feature on page 11, which goes back to 15 February 2008, refers to the Spanish foreign ministry claiming that all waters surrounding the Rock, including the waters adjacent to the airfield area, are under Spanish sovereignty.

At the time, they clashed with the Spanish environment ministry who had referred to Gibraltar waters.

Be that as it may, nothing effective is being done by the UK to deter the Spanish from claiming what is not theirs, as according to the UK declaration on the seas, it is clear what are British waters.

18-02-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR