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Gibraltar Port Authority

Coordinates: 36°08′54″N 5°21′55″W / 36.148453°N 5.365174°W / 36.148453; -5.365174
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Gibraltar Port Authority

The North Mole at Gibraltar Harbour is the site of the Gibraltar Port Authority.
Agency overview
Formed1806
JurisdictionBritish Gibraltar Territorial Waters
HeadquartersNorth Mole, Gibraltar Harbour, Gibraltar
36°08′54″N 5°21′55″W / 36.148453°N 5.365174°W / 36.148453; -5.365174
MottoGateway to the Mediterranean
Minister responsible
  • Neil F. Costa, Minister for Tourism, Public Transport, and the Port
Agency executive
Key document
Websitewww.gibraltarport.com

The original Gibraltar Port Authority, a government entity, was established in Gibraltar in 1806. However, the current independent Port Authority in the British Overseas Territory was founded under the 2005 Gibraltar Port Authority Act. While established in 2005, the Authority was not constituted until 2006, when its first members were appointed. It has numerous responsibilities; however, the Authority's primary function is the provision of marine services. Bunkering is now the principal service that the port provides. The Chairman is the Minister for Tourism, Public Transport and the Port, Neil F. Costa. Captain Roy Stanbrook is the chief executive officer of the Gibraltar Port Authority and Captain of the Port.

History

On 19 February 1706, Queen Anne (1665–1714) of Great Britain granted Free Port status to Gibraltar.[1][2][3] However, in the early 18th century, Gibraltar was principally a garrison; the amount of commerce was negligible. Following the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, Gibraltar was established as a port for international trade. 1823 marked the appearance of the first steamship in Gibraltar and its gradual evolution to a bunkering port.[2] The government-administered Gibraltar Port Authority was founded in 1806.[2][4][5] Its successor, the independent Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA), in the British Overseas Territory at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, was established in 2005 by the Gibraltar Port Authority Act.[6][7][8] The Act of Parliament also provided for the transfer of some responsibilities from the Government of Gibraltar to the Authority. Provisions of the Act became effective on the date or dates determined by the Minister for the Port and Shipping.[8][9][10] While established in 2005, the independent Gibraltar Port Authority was not constituted until 2006. Members of the Authority were appointed, effective 1 June 2006.[11] The Port's office is located on the North Mole (pictured above), the breakwater at the northern end of Gibraltar Harbour (map below).[12][13] The government entity that operated the port from 1806 to 2006 is also referred to as the Gibraltar Port Authority on the plaque (link below) installed at the North Mole. The inscription reads:[2][5]

1806 2006 Gibraltar Port Authority – This plaque commemorates the 200th Anniversary of the creation, in 1806, of an Authority to manage and control the Port of Gibraltar It is dedicated to the memorial of all those who have served in the Port Department unveiled by The Hon. Peter Caruana Q.C. Chief Minister of Gibraltar on 9th November 2006

Map of Gibraltar, including Gibraltar Harbour and the North Mole

Under the Act, the Gibraltar Port Authority consists of eight members who operate as an "independent statutory body."[8][14] The members include: the Minister acting as Chairman of the Authority, a senior officer of the Ministry, the Chief Executive of the Authority, the Financial Secretary, an appointee of the Minister upon discussion with employers of the port, another appointee after discussion with the Gibraltar Trades Council, and two additional appointees, one of whom is "a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court."[8] The Chairman of the board of directors of the Gibraltar Port Authority is the Minister for Tourism, Public Transport and the Port, Neil F. Costa, who took office following the Gibraltar gerneral election in December 2011.[9][15] He succeeded Joseph J. Holliday, the Minister for Enterprise, Development, Technology and Transport as Chairman of the Authority.[14][16][17] Captain Roy Stanbrook is the Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Port Authority and Captain of the Port.[9][18][19] He was appointed after Costa's election victory, and assumed his position on 27 February 2012.[15][18][20] Stanbrook was formerly the Harbour Master for the Lower District of the Port of London Authority in the United Kingdom, and served in that position from 2007 to 2012.[18][21] In Gibraltar, he succeeded Captain Peter W. Hall, who had served from August 2008 to October 2011, having unexpectedly resigned in September 2011.[14][20][22] Hall replaced Captain Cliff Brand, who served from 2006 to 2008.[11][23]

On 9 February 2011, the Government of Gibraltar announced that the Authority had published a new Port of Gibraltar Handbook, for 2010–2011.[14][24] Since the passage of the Gibraltar Port Authority Act in 2005, several other amendments and regulations have been enacted.[8][10][25] As of 2010, the criteria for membership on the board of the Authority appears to have been altered from the Act of 2005, and consists of: "government representatives, port operators, a representative of the Gibraltar Trades Council, independent members, [and] port senior management," although that is an informal enumeration as represented in the Authority handbook.[14] Two organisations have recently been established that work in conjunction with the GPA. One is the Port Advisory Council, whose members are appointed by Costa.[15] The other is the Gibraltar Port Operator's Association (GPOA), founded on 23 January 2012. The intent of the organisation is to question the "terms and conditions" set by the Authority.[15][20]

Responsibilities

The Gibraltar Cruise Terminal is the responsibility of the Gibraltar Port Authority.

The principal function of the Authority is the provision of marine services.[14] It has the responsibility for the port infrastructure, including its security and maintenance. The Authority has the duty to operate the port within international standards. It must regulate the movement of vessels in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. In addition, it must make available search and rescue capability in those waters as needed. The Gibraltar Port Authority has to make certain that all entities within the port comply with local and international laws. It has a duty to encourage new business, and to market the port efficiently. It also has the responsibility of generating funds for the government.[8]

Specific marine services that the Authority provides include bunkering, crew changes, and conveyance of spare parts and other supplies.[14] Bunkering, the supply of fuel to vessels, is the main service that the port provides.[26] Customarily, the fuel is delivered by bunker barge to a vessel anchored in the Bay of Gibraltar. However, bunkers are also delivered to ships berthed at Gibraltar Harbour.[27] The Gibraltar Port Authority is also responsible for the Cruise Terminal (pictured at right) and berths for cruise ships. While much of the activity related to the Authority occurs within Gibraltar Harbour, as the commercial port is based at the North Mole, the Gibraltar Port Authority ensures safe navigation within all of its territorial waters.[13][14] During Captain Hall's tenure, a Vessel Tracking System (VTS) was employed. It affords the GPA a real-time view of all ships within the surrounding waters, whether they are in the port (Gibraltar Harbour), the Bay of Gibraltar, the Strait of Gibraltar, or to the east of the territory in the Alboran Sea. Not only does the system help ensure safe navigation, it permits more efficient utilisation of anchorages and the assessment of port fees, thereby generating revenue for the government.[20] The GPA provides pilotage service, maintains aids to navigation, keeps track of the depth of water, and oversees emergency services and environmental mitigation.[14]

References

  1. ^ Gilbard, Lieutenant Colonel George James (1881). A popular history of Gibraltar, its institutions, and its neighbourhood on both sides of the Straits, and a guide book to their principal places and objects of interest. Garrison Library Printing Establishment. p. 6.
  2. ^ a b c d "200 Years of Gibraltar Port History" (PDF). Aegean News – The Quarterly Magazine of Aegean. Raymond Matera, Aegean: 8. Winter 2006–2007. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Queen Anne of England". departments.kings.edu. Prof. Pavlac's Women's History Site, History Department, King's College. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Gibraltar Port Authority". bus-ex.com. Business Excellence. 28 February 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Gibraltar". karltravels.blogspot.com. Karl's Travels. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  6. ^ "List of Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories". fco.gov.uk. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  7. ^ "Neandertals' Last Stand Was in Gibraltar, Study Suggests". nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Gibraltar Port Authority Act 2005" (PDF). gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Gibraltar Port Authority. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "Gibraltar Port Authority". gibraltar.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Laws of Gibraltar". gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Notice of Constitution of the Gibraltar Port Authority" (PDF). gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Government oef Gibraltar. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Contact us". 79.170.44.211/gibraltarportnew.com. Gibraltar Port Authority. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  13. ^ a b "An Outline of the Port Infrastructure". Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010–11. Land & Marine Publications on behalf on the Gibraltar Port Authority. 2010. p. 13. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Gibraltar Port Authority". Port of Gibraltar Handbook 2010–11. Land & Marine Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Gibraltar Port Authority. 2010. p. 5. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  15. ^ a b c d "New CEO Appointed in Gibraltar Port Authority" (PDF). Aegean News – The Quarterly Magazine of Aegean. Raymond Matera, Aegean: 5. Spring 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  16. ^ "Appointments to the Board of the Gibraltar Port Authority" (PDF). gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  17. ^ Jim Keeble (19 October 2002). "Gibraltar: Hands off the rock". The Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  18. ^ a b c "New Captain of the Port Appointed". Gibraltar Chronicle. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  19. ^ "New Captain of the Port Appointed". Vox – The Truly Independent Gibraltar Newspaper. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  20. ^ a b c d "New Government and New Year bring new priorities". Annual Report 2011. The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce: 27. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  21. ^ "River News". Tidal Thames – The Port of London Authority Magazine (1): 3. Autumn 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  22. ^ "Capt Peter W. Hall". uk.linkedin.com. LinkedIn. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  23. ^ "Captain Cliff Brand BSc (Hons), FNI". ibc-academy.com. IBC Academy, Informa. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Press Release – Gibraltar Port Authority launches new Port Handbook 2010–2011" (PDF). gibraltar.gov.gi. Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  25. ^ "Third Supplement to the Gibraltar Gazette" (PDF). gibraltarlaws.gov.gi. Gibraltar Chronicle Ltd, on behalf of the Government of Gibraltar. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  26. ^ "Gibraltar Port Authority". bus-ex.com. Business Excellence, Infinity Business Media Ltd. 19 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  27. ^ "Bunkering – Introduction". 79.170.44.211/gibraltarportnew.com. Gibraltar Port Authority. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
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