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A centre of maritime excellence
THE STRATEGIC location of Gibraltar explains why, for centuries, the Rock has been used as a naval fortress and why so many battles have been fought over this tiny peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
Today, this same quirk of geography has allowed Gibraltar to become a maritime centre of excellence. Located at a crossroads of Mediterranean and Atlantic shipping lanes, Gibraltar is ideally placed to provide a wide range of services to vessels of all sizes and types.
Down the centuries, Gibraltar has been a place of fierce conflict as well as successful commerce. In ancient times the Rock was used by the Phoenicians, followed by the Carthaginians and the Romans. The Moors held sway from 711 until 1462 when Spain seized control. The Spanish ruled the Rock until 1704 when it was surrendered to Anglo-Dutch forces during the Spanish War of Succession. In 1713 Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht and has remained British ever since.
The development of Gibraltar as a naval port was prompted in part by Lord Nelson. His flagship, 'Victory', was one of several warships repaired at the naval dockyard. The construction of dry docks took place between 1891 and 1906. The naval dockyard continued to be operated by the British Government until 1985 when it became a private concern.
Gibraltar is a bustling commercial centre. With over 90,000 vessels transiting the Strait of Gibraltar each year, the Rock has become a major bunkering station – the largest in the Mediterranean – and offers a wide range of other shipping services. The local airport is just a few minutes from the harbour, from where there are several daily flights daily to London Gatwick, Luton and Madrid and experienced agents are on hand to obtain spare parts, supply provisions and effect crew changes.
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Safety and environmental concerns are given top priority by the Government, which applies strict regulations.
Port Security
Gibraltar Port became ISPS-compliant on 28 June 2004, implementing all the measures recommended by London-based security experts, Maritime & Underwater Security Consultants (MUSC) whose services were engaged for this project. To access the IMO website and check Gibraltar's certification, please log onto:
http://www2.imo.org/ISPSCode/ISPSPortFacilities.aspx
In case of oil pollution, the Port is an associate member of Oil Spill Response Ltd of Southampton, UK, which will provide a rapid response in the event of a Tier 3 incident.
Development
In recent years the Port of Gibraltar has been the subject of a major development plan to boost efficiency and turn itself into a self-sustaining commercial enterprise. The creation of the Gibraltar Port Authority is a key factor in maximising the harbour's potential. The GPA is setting new targets and is working hard to make Gibraltar an even more attractive centre for maritime business.
Maritime portfolio
• The largest bunkering port in the Mediterranean
• Red Ensign Category 1 ship register
• Three dry docks up to panamax including largest covered dry dock in Mediterranean
• A wide range of repair facilities
• Modern cruise facilities
• International airport
• Highly trained stevedores
• Cargo handling facilities
• Off-limits services
• Provision of charts
• Compass adjusting
• Three yacht marinas
• First-rate legal and maritime infrastructure
• Ideal ship arresting jurisdiction
• Wide range of shipping agent expertise and experience
• Ideal base for ship management.
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