EL QUARRY GETS THE RED LINE TREATMENT

Sir,
 
A series of Red Lines have been painted along parts of the seashore between Little Bay and Bay Camp, in front of Keys Promenade.
 
They have appeared without any explanation.  But GFSA knows from a growing number of representations being made that the Police have been moving people who have been fishing off ‘la pataforma’, the raised concrete platform that stands to the left of the swimming pool and in front of the area that contains the largest number of concrete tables and stools.  They have also been moved on from the Pier in front of the pool area, so clearly these red lines must be demarcating the area in ‘el Quarry’ where fishing is permitted.  GFSA is not certain because as usual the Government are saying nothing.
 
Those making these complaints to the Federation are not at all pleased.  It was Mr Caruana’s press office that issued a press release at the beginning of the year announcing that fishing would be permitted in ‘el Quarry’ and other beaches between 15th October and 15th April.
 
GFSA suspected that these parts would be off limits to anglers, as the press release was very confused in its description of the areas where fishing would be permitted.  GFSA has waited for clarification to emerge but it is scandalous that once again the Government has made no attempt to be clear, transparent and informative about issues related to fishing.
 
What most anglers are now finding out is that the part of the shore line that they can fish in ‘el Quarry’ is not an easy stretch and definitely not a spot for the young or amateur fisherman or indeed ‘el abuelito con sus nietos’.  And it is these anglers that the Chief Minister has angered most of all.

It seems that a decision has been taken not to permit fishing from the only part of ‘el Quarry’ where it is safe for parents and grandparents to enjoy it with their young sons, daughters or grandchildren.  GFSA recalls that it was the Chief Minister himself who was heard to say that if there are too many rules and regulations that there will be nowhere for ‘el abuelito’ to go fishing ‘con sus nietos’.  Well Mr Caruana it is you that is doing exactly what you said you would not do, make rules and regulations that prevent them from fishing safe stretches of coast line like these.

Clearly the agenda here has been set by other interests that have taken precedence over the needs of local anglers.  Let us not forget that a large part of the shore line from the Seven Sisters to the start of Keys Promenade ‘en el Quarry’ will become part of ‘an area of special interest’ proposed by the diving community for their exclusive use.  A proposal that seems to have the backing of the Government and that GFSA feels the Government is trying to implement without first announcing the results of the consultation process into fishing, diving and other leisure activities.

As usual Mr Caruana is going ahead with his plans in spite of local opposition.  He has labelled GFSA as a bunch of radicals and written the Federation off as not representative of the views of local anglers.  If he believes this he is treading on very thin ice.  GFSA may not have the backing of all local anglers but the voices opposing the demands that it is making are very few.  Most people that speak to the Federation, including people who do not fish, think that what is being asked for is reasonable, achievable and urgently needed.

And Mr Caruana do not forget that in spite of diving being a tourist product that should be exploited for the benefit of Gibraltar plc there are more anglers than divers in Gibraltar.

GIBRALTAR FEDERATION OF SEA ANGLERS (GFSA)

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