Gibraltar Port Authority
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The Gibraltar Port Authority develops and manages the Port of Gibraltar.


History

On 19 February 1706,
Anne, Queen of Great Britain Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as ...
granted
Free Port Free economic zones (FEZ), free economic territories (FETs) or free zones (FZ) are a class of special economic zone (SEZ) designated by the trade and commerce administrations of various countries. The term is used to designate areas in which co ...
status to Gibraltar. In the early 18th century, Gibraltar was principally a garrison where commerce was negligible. Following the 1805
Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...
, Gibraltar was established as a port for international trade. The government-administered Gibraltar Port Authority was founded in 1806. In 1823, the first steamship appeared in the Gibraltar Port which gradually evolved into a bunkering port. The independent Gibraltar Port Authority was established in 2005 by the Gibraltar Port Authority Act. The Act of
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
also provided for the transfer of some responsibilities from the
Government of Gibraltar His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is the democratically elected government of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The head of state is King Charles III who is represented by the Governor. Elections in Gibraltar are held every four ...
to the Authority. Members of the Authority were appointed, effective 1 June 2006. In 2005/2006, GPA's total revenue was £583,900, and its total expenditure £519,816.59.Annual report 2006/2007
''Gibraltarship.com''
In July 2016, the GPA offloaded Tomahawk missiles, Spearfish torpedoes and
Harpoon A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal ...
anti-ship missiles from a British nuclear-powered submarine that was damaged after colliding with a merchant vessel in the port of Gibraltar. The British authorities did not provide extensive information on this operation, which created tension with Spanish authorities. In August 2016, the GPA signed a deal with
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...
to study the implementation of LNG bunkering infrastructures in the port. In February 2017, the GPA impounded the super yacht (
A (sailing yacht) Sailing Yacht ''A'' is a sailing yacht launched in 2015. The vessel is a sail-assisted motor yacht designed by Philippe Starck (exteriors and interiors) and built by Nobiskrug in Kiel, Germany for the Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. ...
) of Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko. In March 2017, the GPA expressed its concerns regarding the
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...
because its fuel reserves are located in the port of
Algeciras Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...
, the Spanish coastal city facing Gibraltar.Brexit could ‘severely’ impact Rock’s maritime sector
''Chronicle.gi'', 1 March 2017


Description


Main functions

* Monitor and control all vessel movements for British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) in support of port operations and navigational safety; * Provision and monitoring of port security including provision of security controls within restricted and controlled zones; * The licensing of Port operations; * Search and Rescue in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW); * Pollution prevention and response; * Monitoring and control of ship-to-ship and bunkering operations within BGTW. From 1997 to 2007, the GPA went from 27 registered ships to 236.


Activities

All operational matters including navigational safety and the smooth running of the Port are overseen by the Captain of the Port. The principal services provided within Gibraltar Port are bunkering (supply of fuel to vessels) and cruise liner calls. For the bunkering, the fuel is delivered by bunker barge to a vessel anchored in the
Bay of Gibraltar The Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeciras), is a bay at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It is around long by wide, covering an area of some , with a depth of up to in the centre of the bay. It opens to the south into the Strait ...
or delivered to vessels alongside a berth where multiple shore fuelling stations are located. Gibraltar is a popular tourist destination for cruise liner calls due to its location at the entrance to the Mediterranean. The vast majority of all cruise liner calls to Gibraltar come alongside the primary quayside, the North Mole, Western Arm, which makes access into town convenient for passengers and crew alike. Approximately 270,000 to 300,000 cruise liner passengers transit through the port annually. Other services include the supply & provisions for transiting vessels, crew changes, a Gibraltar-Morocco ferry service, ship repairs (see
Gibdock Gibdock is a shipyard in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It formerly operated as a Royal Navy Dockyard. Royal Navy Dockyard HM Dockyard, Gibraltar was first developed in the 18th century. After the Capture of Gibraltar, victuall ...
), lub-oils delivery, slops/waste discharge, class surveys, underwater cleaning/survey, Ship-to-Ship transfers.


Surveillance

The GPA employs a high specification Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system. Supported by multiple radars and high-powered cameras, positioned in strategic locations around the Rock of Gibraltar, the VTS centre monitors the surrounding waters with high levels of accuracy on a 24/7 basis.


Governance

*Chairman of the board: Neil Costa, Minister for Tourism, Public Transport and the Port (since December 2011) *Chief Executive and Captain of the Port: Bob Sanguinetti (since 19 May 2014) The Port's office is located on the North Mole, at the northern end of
Gibraltar Harbour The Port of Gibraltar, also known as Gibraltar Harbour, is a seaport in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was a strategically important location during the Napoleonic Wars and after 1869 served as a supply point for ships travelling ...
.


References


External links


Official website

Gibraltar Port Authority Act of 2005
{{Agencies and Authorities of Gibraltar Port authorities Water transport in Gibraltar Economy of Gibraltar History of Gibraltar Organisations based in Gibraltar 1806 establishments in Gibraltar Organizations established in 1806