‘Spaniards back tough line on Gibraltar’

A newly released poll shows nearly two-thirds of people in Spain support Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s tough stance on the disputed British territory of Gibraltar.

According to AP, the survey released on Sunday by Spain’s leading think-tank Real Instituto Elcano showed 62.8 percent of those questioned believed Rajoy and his Conservative government’s current pressure on Gibraltar was “good” or “very good.”
The poll also revealed that almost half or 48.1 percent support “very much” or “quite a lot” Madrid’s proposal to close Spain’s airspace to flights arriving or leaving the British territory, while 46.2 percent also wanted to shut the land border with Gibraltar.
The latest tensions between Spain and Britain arose in mid-July after authorities in Gibraltar dumped 70 blocks of concrete in waters close the territory’s coast, aimed at creating an artificial reef.

However, Spain denounced the action, saying the British territory dumped the blocks “without any type of authorization and breaking several environmental norms” and considered it as “an environmental crime.”
In addition, Madrid said the concrete blocks seriously damaged the fishery, making it impossible for Spanish fishing boats to work in the area.