TheBay of Gibraltaris a bay at the southern end of theIberian Peninsula.It is around 10 km (6.2 mi) long by 8 km (5.0 mi) wide, covering an area of some 75 km2(29 sq mi), with a depth of up to 400 m (1,300 ft) in the centre of the bay. It opens to the south into theStrait of Gibraltarand theMediterranean Sea.
| Bay of Gibraltar | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Bay of Gibraltar | |
| Coordinates | 36°07′48″N05°23′42″W/ 36.13000°N 5.39500°W |
| River sources | Río de San Roque,Guadarranque,Río de Palmones,Río de la Miel |
| Ocean/sea sources | Strait of Gibraltar,Alboran Sea,Mediterranean Sea,Atlantic Ocean |
| Max. length | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Max. width | 8 km (5.0 mi) |
| Surface area | 75 km2(29 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Settlements | Gibraltar,Algeciras |
The shoreline is densely settled. From west to east, the shore is divided between theSpanish municipalitiesofAlgeciras,Los Barrios,San Roque,La Línea de la Concepciónand theBritish Overseas TerritoryofGibraltar.The larger part of the shoreline is Spanish territory, with part of the eastern half of the bay belonging to Gibraltar.[1]
The east and west entrances to the bay are marked respectively by theEuropa Point LighthouseatEuropa Point,Gibraltar and thePunta Carnero LighthouseinPunta Carneroto the west of Algeciras.
History
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The area around the Bay of Gibraltar has been inhabited for millennia and the bay itself has been used by merchant shipping for at least 3,000 years. The Phoenicians are believed to have had a settlement near Gibraltar and the Romans established the town ofPortus Alba( "White Port" ) on the site of modern Algeciras. Later peoples, notably theMoorsand theSpanish,also established settlements on the shoreline during theMiddle Agesand early modern period, including the heavily fortified and highly strategic port at Gibraltar, which fell toEnglandin 1704.
The bay's strategic position at the mouth of the Mediterranean has made it a much-contested body of water over the centuries. It has been the site of several major sea battles, notably theBattle of Gibraltar (1607)and theFirst Battle of Algeciras(1801). During theSecond World War,Italylaunchedhuman torpedoesfrom Algeciras on several occasions in attempts to sink British ships moored in the Gibraltar harbour, with mixed success due to the work ofCommander Crabbe.
More recently, there has been (and remains) a persistent dispute between Spain and Gibraltar over British sovereignty in the Bay of Gibraltar. Spain does not recognise British claims of sovereignty in the area save for a small portion around the Port of Gibraltar, but the UK has asserted a normal 3nmi(5.6 km; 3.5 mi) limit around Gibraltar, with a demarcation in the middle of the bay. This claim contradicts the treaty of Utrecht of 1713, by which Spain ceded to Great Britain the city and port of Gibraltar and the internal waters of that port, without granting any territoriality over the surrounding waters in the Bay of Algeciras.[dubious–discuss] This has caused tensions between the two sides, especially over the issue of Spanish fishermen operating in British Gibraltar territorial waters.[2]Both have signed, and are bound, by theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Seawhich specifies territorial waters.[3]After the arrest of a Spanish fishing vessel by theRoyal Gibraltar Policein 1998, the problem largely subsided. An incident in the area in 2007 concerning theOdyssey Marine Explorationwas resolved in court cases by 2012 with Spain being awarded the ownership of the treasure-trove.[4]
Ecology
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The bay is a breeding area for severaldolphinspecies, notably thecommon dolphin,striped dolphinandbottlenose dolphin,and is also visited by migratorywhales.[5]It is a popular destination for touristwhale-watchingtrips from Algeciras or Gibraltar.
The other major draw for tourists isscuba diving:the area is rich with wrecks and historical artifacts such as crashedAvro Shackletonaircraft andSherman tanksfrom theSecond World War,and ancient anchors fromPhoenicianandRomanships.
To encourage marine diversity anartificial reefwas constructed in the bay at the end of the runway.
Industrialisation
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The area around the bay in Spain is heavily industrialised with extensivepetrochemicalinstallations nearSan Roque(such as theCEPSAoil refineryandAcerinoxstainless steelmanufacturing plant) and workingportsin bothAlgecirasand Gibraltar. The bay's waters are used by a considerable number of large and medium-sized ships, notablyoil tankersandfreighters.Oil bunkeringactivities are also heavily carried out.
CEPSA Refinery
editThe CEPSAGibraltar-San Roque Refinery,located in Spain, occupies 1.5 million m2and employs 1,000.[6]In 2015 the refinery produced 13.8 million tons of fuel, 260,000 tons of purified terephthalic acid, 170,700 tons of purifiedisophthalic acidand 157,300 tons ofpolyethylene terephthalate.[7]
In 2007 a particularly serious sulphur incident happened as well as intermittent flaring episodes. The impacts of such upsets on surrounding neighbourhoods had provoked outrage and public protest which led to the Consejería de Medio Ambiente of theJunta de Andalucíato order an independent audit aimed at investigating such incidents.[8][9][10]
The refinery continues to cause concern with close co-operation between various groups monitoring its activities.[11]
Bunkering
editFuel tanks on ships are known asbunkers,and the process of fueling termed bunkering.
Due to its geographical position on a major shipping route, Gibraltar is one of the largest bunkering ports in the Mediterranean, followed by neighbourAlgecirasin Spain. The ports in the Straits — Algeciras,Ceutaand Gibraltar — are the second bunker market in Europe, behind the so-called Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp area.[12]
In Gibraltar 4,300,000 t (4,700,000 short tons) of bunker fuel were delivered in 2007 compared with just 840,000 t (930,000 short tons) in 1990 and bunkering is now the main activity within the Port of Gibraltar. Of a total of 8,351 deep-sea vessels which called at Gibraltar in 2007, 5,640 were supplied with fuel.[13]
Algeciras recorded bunker sales of about 2,400,000 t (2,600,000 short tons) in 2008. From the 24,535 vessels called at the Port of Algeciras Bay, 2,173 took on fuel.[12]Gibraltar in 2009 supplied over 4,200,000 t (4,600,000 short tons) of fuel.[14]The local CEPSA refinery produces supplies much of the fuel for bunkering in the bay which it delivers on seven dedicated barge to either Algeciras or Gibraltar.[15]
Pollution
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Due to all these facts and the heavy industries along the shoreline, airborne andmarine pollutionare serious problems in the area. Environmental groups have raised concerns about the risks of oil spills and other types of pollution, particularly in the light of the bay's ecological importance. In May 1998, anaccident at the Acerinox plantinLos Barrios,caused the release of a radioactive cloud. The radiation was not detected on site, but was eventually detected inFrance,Italy,Switzerland,Germany,andAustria.The radioactive levels measured were up to 142 times higher than normal.[16]Due to the large number of ships that transit the strait, there is always a danger of accidents and in recent years there have been a small number of sinkings, groundings and collisions in both Gibraltar and Spain resulting in oil spills (New Flame,Spa Bunker IV,Samothraki,Sierra Nava,TaweandFedra).
Last report ofGreenpeaceon the pollution in Spain targets the Bay of Gibraltar as suffering from "chronic pollution" due to hydrocarbons, not only as a result of accidents, but also as a consequence of regular unballast, ship-to-ship bunkering or tank cleaning operations.[17]During 2009, environmental organizations, both Spanish and Gibraltarian, have called the Tripartite Forum to implement measures to protect the Bay of Gibraltar.[18][19]
A joint statement was issued by concerned environmental groups on both sides of the frontier in relation to the trilateral forum meeting held in 2009.[11]
A report by the Gibraltar government in 2015 reported that the water body status of Gibraltar Coastal Waters was "good" for both ecological and chemical status.[20]
References
edit- ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-10-12.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Gerry O'Reilly, "Gibraltar: Sovereignty Disputes and Territorial Waters", inThe Hydrographic JournalNo 95, January 2000ArchivedMay 3, 2006, at theWayback Machine
- ^"UN Law of the Seas website".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-07-02.Retrieved2017-06-28.
- ^"LA Times article on Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes".24 February 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-04-15.Retrieved2017-04-14.
- ^"Impressions of a course participant (Part 1)".Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-27.Retrieved2014-04-25.
- ^"Refinery" Gibraltar - San Roque "".CEPSA.Archivedfrom the original on 15 April 2017.Retrieved14 April2017.
- ^"The Refinery Cepsa Gibraltar-San Roque accepted a total of 1.261 ships in 2015".El Estrecho. 24 January 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^The CEPSA audit report[permanent dead link](in Spanish)
- ^The CEPSA refinery audit analysis by the ESG[permanent dead link](in Spanish)
- ^ESG Statement on auditArchived2011-07-23 at theWayback Machine
- ^abJoint statement by groupsArchived2011-07-23 at theWayback Machine
- ^abAlgeciras on the ascentArchivedJuly 27, 2011, at theWayback Machine,bunkerworld, May/June 2009.
- ^Bunkering in GibraltarArchivedNovember 13, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^"The Gibraltar Magazine February 2010".The Gibraltar Magazine. February 2010. p. 19.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-04-15.Retrieved2017-04-14.
- ^"Methods of Supply".CAPSA.Archivedfrom the original on 15 April 2017.Retrieved14 April2017.
- ^"Acerinox accident - Cesium-137 contamination in Europe".Archivedfrom the original on 2008-06-10.Retrieved2008-09-19.
- ^Informe Contaminación en España[permanent dead link],Greenpeace, May 2008.
- ^Ecologistas de España y Gibraltar piden al Foro Tripartito un plan de acción para salvar la bahíaArchived2009-11-16 at theWayback Machine,Greenpeace, November 12, 2009 (Spanish)
- ^Crisis ambiental y de salud en la bahía de Algeciras/bahía de Gibraltar. Demandas y propuestas para el Foro de Diálogo TripartitoArchived2009-07-31 at theWayback Machine,June 2009 (in Spanish)
- ^"Gibraltar River Basin Management Plan 2015 – 2021"(PDF).September 2015. p. 21.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2016-11-13.Retrieved2017-04-15.
External links
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