A bitter row has erupted between Spain’s Verdemar Ecologistas en Accion group and the Government of Gibraltar.

It comes after the campaigners released an AI-generated video accusing the Rock of causing serious environmental damage in protected waters.

The footage, which recreates alleged pollution and coastal expansion, triggered a furious response from Gibraltar officials, who branded it ‘manipulated’, ‘dishonest’ and politically motivated.

At the centre of the dispute is long-running criticism of Gibraltar’s environmental practices.

In particular, fuel bunkering operations in the Bay of Algeciras, sewage discharges into the sea and large-scale land reclamation projects.

One development drawing particular fire is the so-called Eastern reclamation (Eastside/Marina East project) – a major urban expansion plan involving around 1,300 homes, a marina, and more than 300,000m2 of land gained from the sea.

Verdemar claims the project has involved dumping over a million tonnes of material into the water – much of it, they say, contaminated – in an area protected under EU environmental rules.

Protected waters under pressure

The contested zone forms part of the Estrecho Oriental, a designated conservation area under the EU’s Natura 2000 network.

Campaigners argue that activities in and around Gibraltar are damaging sensitive marine habitats in one of Europe’s most ecologically complex regions where Atlantic and Mediterranean waters meet.

They also allege that over one million cubic metres of wastewater is being discharged, while ships regularly anchor to refuel in protected waters – and expansion works alter seabed ecosystems.

‘We used to fight this together’

In its response, Verdemar pushed back hard against comments from Gibraltar’s Environment Minister John Cortes, who accused the group of spreading misinformation.

The organisation pointed out that Cortés himself once campaigned alongside them against pollution from the CEPSA refinery.

‘Back then we were on the same side,’ they said, suggesting his position has shifted since entering government.

EU pressure and political tension

Verdemar says it has been taking complaints to European institutions for decades and is now urging Brussels to act.

They argue there is a ‘legal vacuum’ being exploited, allowing environmentally harmful practices to continue unchecked.

Gibraltar authorities strongly reject the claims, insisting the video distorts reality and undermines constructive dialogue.

Cortes said the use of AI imagery risks spreading misinformation and harming relations in the Campo de Gibraltar, adding it does ‘no favour to the environment or coexistence’.

This latest clash is just the latest chapter in a years-long dispute over environmental control in the Strait of Gibraltar, in a region where jurisdiction, politics and ecology are tightly intertwined.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.