Port of Gibraltar shut down due to fuel spill

Algeciras, Spain, Aug 1 (EFE).- The Captain of the Port of Gibraltar called a halt to operations Tuesday after oil was spilled during a transfer a fuel from one vessel to another.

Sources in the Gibraltar government told EFE that the Port Authority implemented its contingency plan for fuel spills in conjunction with the Environmental Agency.

Spanish authorities were notified of the accident, the sources said.

The incident took place shortly before 8:30 am Tuesday at the southern end of the Western Anchorage as the Gas Venus was taking on fuel from another vessel.

Gibraltar raised red flags on the beaches of Camp Bay and Little Bay in expectation that oil would reach the shore at those locations.

Bathers, boaters, and fishermen through Gibraltar waters were urged to use caution.

Spain-based conservation group Verdemar Ecologistas en Accion blamed the accident on the lack of adequate safety measures during ship-to-ship fuel transfers.

“A year has not passed since the wreck of the OS 35 and we already have another spill in Gibraltar,” the organization said, referring to an August 2022 collision that resulted in the spilling of a substantial quantity of fuel.

Fuel from Tuesday’s accident could reach the shores of Algeciras Bay, according to Verdemar, which identified the ship that was supplying fuel to the Gas Venus as the Hercules 500.

EFE adw/dr