The Gibraltar Government’s plan to regulate scuba diving has a clear twofold goal: to strengthen the sport’s potential as a source of tourism revenue, while promoting it as a leisure activity for locals.

The proposal, outlined in a consultation document published last week, would lead to tighter control over divers and the promotion of the Rock as a premier dive holiday location.

 

The government would also work to establish new artificial reefs and wreck sites, reserving many areas exclusively for divers and closing them off to fishing and boating.

Regulation of diving in Gibraltar waters forms part of a wider exercise to establish tighter control over boating and fishing, and on which the government is currently seeking feedback.

But while the angling controversy has inevitably focused attention on this aspect of the review, diving forms a key part of government plans laid out in the consultation paper.

“The Government believes that scuba diving has a much greater potential for touristic economic exploitation in Gibraltar than has hitherto been the case,” the consultation paper states.

“In order to achieve this, safely and in a way which is respectful of the environment and of our marine heritage, the government proposes to regulate scuba diving and to provide infrastructure to promote and support it as both a leisure activity for locals and a touristic and commercial activity for visitors.”

The government proposes that non-profit clubs and commercial operators alike be registered and licensed by the Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority.

The regime would require both clubs and businesses to comply with a list of health and safety and administrative require-ments.

The government also proposes to establish designated Areas of Special Interest [ASIS] within which controls on diving will be tighter.

One such area would stretch from the southern end of the South Mole to the south of Camp Bay up to a depth of 35m. This area is littered with wrecks that form rich artificial reefs.

“To ensure safety in recreational diving and also to protect the environment and under water heritage, it is proposed that all diving within an ASIS must be organised, managed, guided and conducted under the auspices of either a locally registered dive club or a locally licensed commercial Recreational Diving Services Provider,” the consultation paper states.

“It is proposed that the [legislation] will permit qualified divers to dive ‘freelance’ outside an ASIS in Gibraltar territorial waters.”

Another important factor is that boating would be prohibited within an ASIS, except for dive-related vessels.

Fishing and any interference with the seabed would also be banned.

As with all areas of the consultation paper, the government is seeking input from divers on what areas should be designated as ASIS.

INFRASTRUCTURE

In order to maximise the exploitation of Gibraltar’s potential in the diving industry, the Government proposes to invest in the establishment of a ‘Diving Hub’, where clubs as well as commercial companies can establish dive shops and facilities and attract clientele to a coordinated industry centre.

At present the site under consideration is a building near the yacht fuelling berth next to the ferry terminal.

This facility will include dive boat mooring, lecture rooms, air compressors and other sharable facilities that support the activity.

“This Dive Centre Hub will be supported by other waterfront facilities at the Rosia Bay,” the consultation paper said.

To support both the dive industry and marine habitat development, the government, in consultation with relevant NGOs, also plans to establish new artificial reefs and wreck dive sites within the parameters of the Barcelona Convention.

It would also establish a recompression chamber available 24/7 and operated by the Gibraltar Health Authority.

In conjunction with the clubs, the industry and the Gibraltar Tourism Board, the government also proposes the marketing and promotion of Gibraltar as a recreational diving destination.