Eloise Horsfield
ON the face of it, Spanish plans to create a conservation zone in the waters around Gibraltar should be supported – were it not for the thinly-veiled politics surrounding the scheme.
The idea of ship-refuelling (bunkering) being banned off the Rock has undoubted environmental benefits but it is debatable how much difference it would make.
While small-scale spillages do occur from time to time, great efforts have been made by the Gibraltar authorities to reduce the environmental risk.
The economic damage that a ban on bunkering would cause to Gibraltar arguably far outweighs the environmental benefits of scrapping the process.
With Spain also undertaking bunkering nearby, it seems apparent that Spain’s motives for cleaning up the waters are not actually as clean as it would have us believe.
Ban bunkering in Spanish waters and Gibraltan waters.
You were saying?
“http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=26117”
After reading the above link, can anyone really believe anything Spanish ministers say any more?
i like your paper but i do find this article sloightly biased towards gibraltar. I agree with Aussie sunshine both should stop, surely putting the environment first should be paramount regardless of the politics or whether its going to affect some businessman’s pocket in either Gib or Spain. If we put business first then what is going to happen to the planet – i cannot believe that this is the stand of the paper? Or maybe advertisers rule ok regardless of whom it affects?