Key staff at the Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA) held a series of Oil Spill related exercises during the course of this week, in conjunction with Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL).

OSRL, based in Southampton, and with stations world-wide, is the tier 3 oil spill response company contracted by the GPA. Brightside Services Ltd is contracted by OSRL as the Tier 1 and 2 responder locally and actively took part in all programmed exercises.

An oil spill in the Western anchorage was the scenario for one of the events, with the GPA and its contracted responders deploying its available kit whilst a shoreline response exercise was also practised, with active participation of trained members of the Ministry of the Environment.

Commodore Bob Sanguinetti commented that these opportunities ‘provided priceless training to the GPA and its contracted responders in the event of a major oil spill affecting Gibraltar waters’. He added that ‘this puts the GPA and Gibraltar in the strongest possible position to tackle the unlikely event of an oil spill in our bay, and we will continue with our efforts to achieve the highest level of preparedness’.

Minister for the Port, the Hon Gilbert Licudi QC, also commented that ‘Gibraltar is fully committed to the protection of its marine environment and these exercises underpin the Government’s robust strategy in this respect’.