UK concerned over Spain’s ‘provocative’ Gibraltar incursion
The British Foreign Office summons the Spanish ambassador over an “unlawful” and “provocative” incursion into Gibraltar’s territorial waters.
Minister for Europe David Lidington said in a statement that a Spanish state research vessel, accompanied by a military police vehicle, had crossed into British Gibraltar territorial waters on Tuesday.
Mr Lidington said the boat had been conducting surveys in Gibraltar’s waters.
The MP said he had summoned Spanish ambassador Frederico Trillo to voice the British government’s “grave view” of the incident.
‘Indisputably British’
“Not only were the actions of the survey vessel unlawful, but it was accompanied by a Spanish Guardia Civil vessel whose dangerous manoeuvring presented a significant safety concern on the waters,” Mr Lidington said.
“According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the waters around Gibraltar are indisputably British territorial waters, under United Kingdom sovereignty, in which only the United Kingdom has the right to exercise jurisdiction.
“Her Majesty’s government takes a grave view of any attempt by Spain to exert authority or control within British Gibraltar Territorial waters and considers such tincursions as a violation of our sovereignty.
“However, the legal fact of the United Kingdom’s sovereignty over British Gibraltar territorial waters is not affected by such violations.
“I strongly condemn this provocative incursion and urge the Spanish government to ensure that it is not repeated. Her Majesty’s government will continue to take whatever action we consider necessary to uphold British sovereignty and the interests of Gibraltar, its people, its security and economy.”
Troubled waters
Tensions between the UK and Spain stretch back to the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
Britain claims that Gibraltar’s territorial waters extend three nautical miles from the rock, but Spain claims that, since territorial waters were not defined at Utrecht, its vessels can go where they want.
The government of Gibraltar has claimed that Spanish boats have exhausted stockpiles of fish in their waters, and last year tensions surfaced again when Gibraltar dropped concrete blocks into the waters off its coast.
Gibraltar said it did so to create an artificial reef to encourage biodiversity, but Spain said the move was to stop fishing boats.