MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Spain anticipates it will target Gibraltar bunkering
As queues at the border with Gibraltar get longer and little advance is seen in the diplomatic front, Spain’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, warned that Madrid would continue to impose the border checks and has plans to target bunkering in ‘Spanish protected waters’. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesIt's not easy to be an English pirate anymore.
Aug 15th, 2013 - 01:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0However it is easy to be a thieving dago because all dagoes are thieves.
Aug 15th, 2013 - 01:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0@1
Aug 15th, 2013 - 01:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0I think you will find that the average Gibraltarian is less affected by the border delays than the 10,000 Spaniards who cross everyday for work. Gibraltar already faced this with Franco, so it comes as no surprise, and probably anticipated. However, the already-destitute Spanish don't need another kicking while they're down.
Perhaps Spanish aircraft landing in the UK should not be permitted to refuel? No, because the UK has the rule of law, and UK politicians cannot mess people around in this way for political ends.
Aug 15th, 2013 - 02:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Marcos, we are proud of our pirate status. Me cannons are primed and trained on you for a start. I award you the black spot!
Aug 15th, 2013 - 03:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0further economic interference nothing more, clearly spain continues to show it no longer appreciates British tourism, a taste of their own medicine.
Aug 15th, 2013 - 05:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0this sustained Spanish folly will ultimately end in many Spanish tears of pain.
Should be quite funny. Perhaps Gibraltar could introduce a system whereby spanish nationals are not permitted to obtain more than one carton of tobacco products per day. Not too difficult. What about the bunkering? Canete talks about “sanctions”. How would spain manage that? The fuels, oils etc. persumably arrive by sea. Is he going to try to block an inbound tanker? Will the tanker plough straight through the little Guardia Civil boat? “Told you to get out of the way!” But perhaps the “sanctions” will be more of a financial nature. Difficult to see how spain is going to impose financial sanctions on companies located in Gibraltar. And there are other good features. Trying to pair up with argieland is a good start. This immediately indicates the level to which spain has descended. About as low as it's possible to get! Two states notable for their ability to lie and refuse to go to the ICJ. All on bogus grounds. One way or another, the majority of the people of Britain will support the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar. They will demand that the British government take action. In Europe, it will add to calls for the UK to leave the EU so that Britain can unilaterally act to smash spain in one way or another. No more “aid” to the failing spanish economy. Perhaps British citizens will be forbidden to travel to or through spain. It will be pointed out that, whilst inconvenient, it is being done so that no British money goes to spain. Spain gets about US$50 billion from tourism. And about a quarter of that comes from Britons. When that drops to US$37.5 billion and innumerable bartenders, waiters, maids and so forth add to spain's unemployed, who will be blamed. No doubt Portugal and Gibraltar will be able to enjoy extra tourists. Possible benefits also for Morocco. Enough spare cash to enable a high speed ferry link between Morocco and Gibraltar. Takes about 2 hours at present. Gibraltar/Morocco to buy/build high speed catamarans?
Aug 15th, 2013 - 06:40 am - Link - Report abuse 0“The bunkering sector in Gibraltar, one of the busiest ship-refuelling centres in the world, has a good environmental record that is recognised internationally” - mercopress
Aug 15th, 2013 - 07:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0“The Gibraltar authorities dismiss these ”minor“ events, but they recur so frequently that they probably do more damage to the marine environment than major oil spills. This seems to be endorsed by
recent research. In 2007 Carmen Moral Caselles, a marine scientist, presented her findings”.
... “Here, with Algeciras Bay subjected to ongoing industrial emissions and bunkering spills, coastal
sediments are much more seriously degraded.” - The guardian.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/06/bay-of-gibraltar-shipping-pollution
“Last report of Greenpeace on the pollution in Spain targets the Bay of Gibraltar as suffering from ”chronic pollution“ due to hydrocarbons, not only as a result of accidents, but also as a consequence of regular unballast, ship-to-ship bunkering or tank cleaning operations” - wiki
“GIBRALTAR has been slammed for taking “grave environmental risks” by failing to control oil tankers in its waters”. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/06/bay-of-gibraltar-shipping-pollution
A process known as bunkering. Floating petrol stations in gibraltar sell 5 million tonnes a year. - France 24. 30/07/10
“According to Tony Davis, the director of maritime affairs at Gibraltar, ”nearly 100 tonnes of oil are tipped into the sea, but 90% are trapped by barriers and the remaining 10% are soon mopped up“”
“lololol”. - Me, 15/08/13
5 million tonnes .... 100% clean up rate. Damn they're good.
- The guardian (same link)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/06/bay-of-gibraltar-shipping-pollution
..or not.
@8 Vestige
Aug 15th, 2013 - 09:40 am - Link - Report abuse 0If lax standards are in operation for bunkering in Gibraltarian waters then they need tightening up ASAP. You should pass your research onto the Gibraltarian authorities and also to its local MEP Julie Girling:
Tel No: 0032 228 47678 (Brussels)
Email: julie.girling@europarl.europa.eu
Well done, thanks for bringing this to attention.
I'm sure you will also agree, the creation of the new reef in Gibraltar waters - like many other in the surrounding Spanish waters - will greatly preserve fish stocks and to be of long term benefit to everyone.
Keep up the good work.
Nah, I think Ill just sit back with some popcorn and watch the EU ban bunkering on environmental grounds.
Aug 15th, 2013 - 09:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0Gibraltar is part of the EU right ?
You know this could be the perfect 'get-out' for the EU, Spain, Gibraltar and G.Britain. And the environment.
The queues get shortened by the savior which is the EU, a body which helps all Europeans to have a more peaceful and law abiding life, Gibraltarians are happier and smug, G.B gets to keep its reef and show who's boss, Spain gets to show it is law abiding to the EU courts....that costs them some face...BUT they get to say they got the last word in the end by ending bunkering.
And theres and end to pollution - which makes a perfect happy ending.
The only ones who lose out are the big bad faceless uncaring oil corporations. YAAAY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u0EL_u4nvw
@10 Vestige
Aug 15th, 2013 - 10:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0GB did not lay the reef, some bigoted people like to think 'zee inglish' did, but they did not. It was the Gib authorities.
You ask “is Gibraltar is part of the EU ?”. Good question - and in that spirit:
Is Ceuta and Melilla & the Canary Islands in the EU?
Is Martinique & Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the EU?
Is Aruba in the EU?
I generally don't know. I have been to Gran Canary a few times and I know it is duty free. Must be others as well I guess. The EU is it seems is a flexible.
Did none of you notice that this Spanish “minister” was:
Aug 15th, 2013 - 10:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0“Until recently Arias Cañete was a director of a fuel storage company in Ceuta that had a commercial relationship with one of the very Gibraltar-based companies targeted by the latest Spanish move.”
The argies really did get their lying thieving ways from the Spanish so they must be implanted in argiland!
@12
Aug 15th, 2013 - 12:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It has also emerged that Arias Cañete comments coincide with an ongoing drive by the port of Algeciras to increase its share of the bunkering market in the Strait of Gibraltar.
All very good, all very interesting.
Aug 16th, 2013 - 06:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0But it won't be naughty Arias Cañete under investigation, it will be claims against bunkering and its environmental impact getting examined.
If he's making money out of it or escaping a loss or has vested interests ...well... money and politics and directorships and whispers, whats new.
I can't help but do a thinkian chuckle over the idea that bunkering is so bad that the Spanish authorities are thinking of banning it.
Aug 19th, 2013 - 11:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Why, if it's so dangerous, has it come to light that the Spanish government issued four separate licences to engage in bunkering off of the Galacian port of Ria De Ferrol. Not to mention the bunkering firms in Ceuta also asking for an exemption to the rules that Spain doesn't have the authority to implement in Gibraltarian water.
@12
Aug 19th, 2013 - 11:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0”Did none of you notice that this Spanish “minister” was:
“Until recently Arias Cañete was a director of a fuel storage company in Ceuta that had a commercial relationship with one of the very Gibraltar-based companies targeted by the latest Spanish move.”
I hadn't Chris, but delighted you have pointed this out.
I don't know of the reports are true but I hear that if Spain does not trade with Gibraltar, they will buy more through Morrocco.
I can't make out if Spain is Argentina in disguise or the other way around?
However, not losing much sleep over it.
16 Pete Bog
Aug 19th, 2013 - 12:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, as I posted elswhere you couldn't put a bus ticket in between Spain and The Dark Country!
LOLs
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