Portugal–Spain relations small Portuguese Marine Corps combat detachment and two wardens of Madeira's Natural Park. Over the years the Portuguese authorities have seized some Spanish fishing boats and crew around the area for illegal fishing and theft of light beacons and navigation buoys. As of 2017 Spain had approved a nuclear waste warehouse next to the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant (which uses the Tagus river that flows into Portugal for cooling of the reactors), which is near the Portugal–Spain border, without carrying out any consultations or impact studies. Portugal has escalalted the matter to the EU. Protests were planned for January 12,
Border Reivers were other factors which promoted a predatory mode of living in the Borders. A system of inheritance called gavelkind meant that estates, and particularly land, were divided equally between all sons on a man's death; although this was considered more fair than primogeniture, it also meant that many people owned insufficient land to survive. Also, much of the border region is mountainous or open moorland, unsuitable for arable farming but good for grazing. Livestock was easily rustled and driven back to raiders' territory by mounted reivers who knew the country well. The raiders also often removed easily portable household goods