Gibraltar battles to contain oil spill from polluting local waters

THE Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA), in conjunction with other agencies, has continued with the clean-up operation caused by an oil spill in the early hours of last Friday morning.

Yesterday, efforts were being focused on the retrieval of oil around the harbour and the Gibraltar Bay with assets from both the private sector and the public sector being deployed accordingly.

Two bowsers belonging to Brightside and Wastage Products Gibraltar were deployed in the retrieval of any stagnant fuel patches around the harbour area.

The efforts have continued with collecting free floating oil from South mole corner, Small Boats Marina, Western arm, Rosia bay and other small isolated patches in the inner harbour.

All cost attributed to this incident will be recovered from the vessel, believed to be registered in Liberia and until such time that payment is received the vessel will remain detained in Gibraltar waters.

The Gibraltar Government insists that there is no credible evidence to substantiate reports in some media of oil from this spill being present on land on the Spanish side of the bay.

This is the first spill in Gibraltar in many years and the Government is considering all options to seek full recovery for the cost occasioned by the spill of oil.

Prosecution under the provisions of the Port Rules has not been ruled out.

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