Govt reports ‘good, steady progress’ in oil spill clean-up, Camp Bay closed for swimming

The Gibraltar Government reported “good, steady progress” in the clean-up operation following the oil spill earlier this week.

Teams continued to mop oil from the rocky shoreline in Rosia Bay while vessels targeted free-floating patches of oily sheen at sea using sorbent booms.

The sheening, which emanated from the oil on the coastline and rocks particularly in the Rosia Bay area, forced the authorities to prohibit swimming in Camp Bay, where the red flag was flying.

The Port of Gibraltar remained closed for bunkering operations while the clean-up was under way.

The Department of Environment also removed jellyfish nets from Camp Bay and Little Bay to clean them and replace them as soon as possible.

“This situation is being reviewed daily,” said No.6 Convent Place in an update.

“Clean-up work will continue throughout the weekend.”

“Members of the public are urged to respect any red flags that may need to be raised and which will be returned to yellow as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Between 1000 and 2000 litres of low sulphur fuel oil were spilt from the gas tanker Gas Venus during a bunkering operation on off the South Mole on Tuesday.

The gas tanker was detained by port state control and the Gibraltar Port Authority [GPA] on Tuesday as an investigation was launched into what happened.

The vessel’s captain was also arrested by the Royal Gibraltar Police on suspicion of a pollution offence under port rules.

Depending on the investigation, the vessel’s captain and operator could potentially face legal action in line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle if they are found to have been at fault.