Gibraltar continues its megaproject of gaining ground by invading maritime territory and extract stones from the quarries of Malaga with the Eastside project, a situation denounced by environmentalists.
An action that the Verdemar-Ecologistas en Acción association has already denounced and which has now asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albaresto intervene in the stone extractions underway in the quarries of Casares (Málaga) for the expansion of the Eastside project in Gibraltar, with the aim of “continuing to recover land from the sea”.
breakwater stone
All this, during the meeting held between environmentalists and the minister last Thursday, October 10, during which they explained the extension of the project and transfer of breakwater stone to Gibraltar for the same thing.
Specifically, this initiative is carried out in the Special Conservation Area of the Eastern Strait approved by Royal Decree 1620/2012 of November 30, by which this area is declared as Place of Community Significance of the Mediterranean biogeographic region of the Natura 2000 network and the corresponding conservation measures are approved.
In this context, Verdemar warned Albares that these stones, which come from the Utrera torcal located in Casares, “will serve to continue the recovery of land from the sea with this project” managed by the group of companies. The TNG Global Foundation (TNG). Likewise, he indicated that he had already reported the events to the Junta de Andalucía and even to its president, Juamma Moreno.
Danger of the Sierra de la Utrera
In line with the above, environmentalists have criticized the fact that “trucks loaded with breakwater stones from the Utrera i career enter Gibraltar without any problem“.
Likewise, they explained the value of the Casares area, while warning of the “danger” facing the Sierra de la Utrera, the Manilva River and its habitats protected by European legislationlike the Hedionda baths.
Archaeological sites
In this sense, Verdemar highlighted that in this area “there are important archaeological sites that show the presence of communities during the Lower Paleolithicmore than 200,000 years ago.
Thus, he indicated having cataloged 92 caves, of which 23 show anthropogenic occupation, with vestiges of the Mesolithic and Neolithicin addition to the rock art representations, this is why the Hediondas underground system was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2014.
Likewise, he pointed out that in the Torcal area there is also the archaeological site of Villavieja, occupied since the 2nd millennium BC, whose populations They maintained contact with the first Phoenician navigators who came to settle in this region of the Mediterranean.
50,000 tonnes
Finally, environmentalists responded that “Currently, no type of debris can leave Gibraltar, even if it is inert.“, also indicated that Verdemar has opened a case to paralyze the entry of breakwater stones from Andalusian lands.
According to the environmental organization, “stones from the breakwater will be used for the Eastside project in Gibraltar and They will dismantle nearly 50,000 tonnes to create breakwaters and transform the seafront. It should be remembered that Gibraltar has been trying for years to transfer protected species such as the ferruginated limpet (or ferruginated ball joint) in this area.
marine gastropod
This species of limpet is a marine gastropod endemic to the western Mediterranean, considered one of the most endangered species of invertebrates of this geographic region.
The Rock Urban Development Project was announced by the Government of Gibraltar, upon entering into a lease agreement for the transfer of land from east side to The TNG Global Foundation (TNG) group of companies.
Gaining ground on the sea
The TNG group already paid the government £90 million for the Eastside projecta mega development consisting of skyscrapers, hotels and a marina that Gibraltar is promoting by gaining land from the sea in the waters of the strait.
The designs presented by TNG show a new urban area on the Eastside parcel consisting of a hotel, 1,300 housing units and a commercial areaall centered around a new marina and 3,000 parking spaces, including 500 public.
In 2021, an agreement was reached with the Government of Gibraltar so that, according to TNG Global, it will develop a project “which will have a total value to the community of around £330 million (nearly 400 million euros) with the aforementioned initial contribution of 90 million pounds.
150,000 square meters
In total, the Gibraltar government wants to occupy an area larger than the 150,000 square meters with loads that increase its breakwater by 30 percent.
The project will develop over a period of approximately 10 years. At the same time, TNG ensures that will carry out an ecologically sustainable project“to include the latest technology and knowledge in this sector, a factor that was positively highlighted by the DPC when applying for OPP.”
The organization Verdemar- Ecologistas en Acción announced that it was investigating “The legal origin of the retaining wall valued at 100 million poundsIn case the stones brought in, nearly 100 trucks per day, could come from illegal quarries.
