And you thought the island eruption would be in the East China Sea:
"Fishermen in Spain protest reef creation" Associated Press, August 19, 2013
LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION, Spain— Spanish fishermen in some 60 fishing boats protested on Sunday the building of an artificial reef near the disputed British territory of Gibraltar. The construction of the reef has soured relations between Madrid and London.
The fishermen say the reef of around 70 concrete blocks — some with steel rods protruding — can snare and damage their nets, something that has stopped them from fishing there.
“What are we losing? A bay full of seafood,” said fisherman Manuel Morente. ‘‘That’s where we all used to fish, and now it’s full of blocks.’’
The protest was monitored by a dozen Spanish and Gibraltar police vessels that prevented the fishing boats from getting near the reef. Gibraltar’s government, led by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, says the reef protects fish stocks from being overexploited.
Spain ceded sovereignty of Gibraltar to Britain in 1713 but has persistently sought to regain the tiny southern enclave.
The latest dispute has led to a spike in tensions, with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain saying he will take all legal measures to defend his country’s interests.
Among steps taken by Spain are border checks on cars entering and leaving Gibraltar, leading to long queues that can take hours to clear.
Many Spaniards, and Gibraltarians who chose to live in Spain, commute to work every day across the border.
Rajoy has defended border controls, saying they help combat the contraband of drugs and tobacco, adding that the checks were in line with security policies employed by member countries of the Schengen free travel zone to which Britain and Gibraltar do not belong.
Spain has also floated the idea of charging people entering and leaving Gibraltar $66 to provide compensation for the losses that the fishermen face. Picardo has refused to back down, saying that ‘‘hell will freeze over’’ before Gibraltar removes the reef in compliance with Spain’s demands.
It's pretty damn cold out there now, so who knows?
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"EU warns Spain against imposing Gibraltar tax" Associated Press, August 20, 2013
GIBRALTAR — The European Commission said Monday it hopes Britain and Spain will be able to resolve their latest dispute over Gibraltar by themselves but warned that Spanish threats to impose a border tax would be illegal.
European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said the entry tax suggested by Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo was not official but that ‘‘any tax or fees imposed at the border of a member state will be illegal under EU law. Illegal. Not in line with EU law.’’
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso discussed the spat with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy by telephone Monday and agreed that a commission fact-finding mission should go to the Gibraltar border area as soon as possible and examine the issues of border control and movement of people and goods, the commission said.
Barroso expressed hope that Spain and Britain would address the issues in line with their EU membership.
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A concern that was not addressed except in a printed paper photograph:
"CLASS(ROOM) WARFARE IN SPAIN -- Students protesting an increase in university tuition and fees along with cuts in education funding blocked streets in Madrid during a strike on Thursday (Boston Globe October 25 2013)."
Also see: Spain nabs fugitive Colombian drug gang leader
Related:
"Each day, the people of Chelsea had poured into the bakery for their helping of coffee, bread, and empanadas — a taste of home, in truth, at what was one of the first Colombian bakeries in Massachusetts. The family opened the bakery so they wouldn’t have to travel to New York for Colombian bread."
