EMEA News
Spain Moves to Denounce Bunkering in Waters off Gibraltar
Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo says his country's government has initiated proceedings to denounce bunkering in the waters off Gibraltar, calling it an "environmentally harmful practice."
Writing in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday, Margallo said: "This practice risks releasing toxic discharges into the sea."
Local players have said Gibraltar often suffers from congestion and there is no room to expand bunkering there, while Gibraltar's Spanish neighbouring port, Algeciras, in 2012 enjoyed record bunker sales, and this year a number of new players, including BP Marine and Aegean, entered the market there.
Tensions over the territory have been high since Gibraltar began using concrete blocks to create artificial reef in disputed waters, something the Spanish government says interferes with Spanish fishermen.
Meanwhile the United Kingdom has rejected a call from Margallo for a dialogue on the status of Gibraltar, saying that "the issue of sovereignty is clear," but it is willing to discuss fishing practices in the self-governing British territory, Mediterranean news site ANSAmed reports.
Margallo argued that the UK should "resume bilateral negotiations as soon as possible on issues of Gibraltar's sovereignty, which have been on hold for far too long."
Gibraltar First Minister Fabian Picardo said he will propose a legal change to let Spanish fishermen use nets in waters of Gibraltar, but he insisted the artificial reef would remain, UK newspaper the Daily Mail reports.
Spain has imposed strict border controls for motorists crossing in and out of Gibraltar, leading to reports of six-hour waits for drivers in recent days.
