THE Spanish Navy has made yet another incursion into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW).
The Spanish vessel SPS Vigía was spotted in BGTW late on Thursday afternoon.
Although it claimed to be in Spanish territorial waters, when challenged by the Royal Navy the boat made a hasty retreat.
SPS Vigía’s actions were in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), according to the Convent, and the Foreign Office will make a formal protest to the Spanish government.
According to the Gibraltarian authorities, the continued incursions by Spanish State vessels are a violation of, but not a threat to, British sovereignty in Gibraltar.
This is the fourth time a Spanish State vessel has flouted the UNCLOS in less than a week. Last weekend (September 13 and September 14) saw two Guardia Civil vessels pursue fishing boats into local waters.
Monday September 15 then witnessed an incursion by theSNS Infanta Cristina into BGTW, although the vessel at the time claimed to have remained within Spanish waters.
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