The ESG would like to share its relief and gratitude to all those involved in the recent removal of the stricken vessel OS35 from our shoreline.

Gibraltar and the nearby marine environment did not escape entirely unscathed, but it’s clear a major incident was averted by the careful handling undertaken by the Port and advisory team.

We thank our teams of volunteers who were on standby throughout the presence of the vessel and dedicated their free time when called to, to assist in the very tricky business of removing sticky, tarry oil from our shoreline. 

It thanks all at the Port led by its Captain, and other agencies as well as the Department of the Environment who kept NGOs and volunteers appraised of the environmental threat from the vessel on a constant basis.

The ESG confirms this years Clean up Campaign will be held alongside the global event on the 23rd September.

We welcome longterm teams and new volunteers to sign up and do your bit to promote civic pride and help reverse some of the damage we inflict on our natural environment in this beautiful corner of the world we are so lucky to inhabit.

New Poster and additional information will be posted this week.

Meanwhile please email us at: esg@gibtelecom.net to register your interest to participate as an individual or team. A rough idea of numbers, ages and fitness as well as a mobile contact number for our records would be very useful.

Thanks once again to those who have already been in contact and we welcome the opportunity to meet with everyone a few weeks before the day itself for discussions on the issues as well as practical information on logistics. Watch this space for more details that will be published in local media as well as emailed to team leaders. Thank you!

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ZERO IMPACT MEANS ZERO OIL

Sunday 13^th August 2023

As the first milestone in the Rosia oil clean up is reached, with round the clock efforts in place to save the coastline stepping down to a more moderate level, news has filtered through of a very minor oil spill from a bunkering barge within the harbour itself. As far as we can tell not much detail has been published such as the barge company involved, qty of spill and most importantly why did it happen? One would think that after this most recent bunkering oil spill debacle that extra care would be ordered from top down to ensure efforts were doubled to avoid such accidents? Was this also negligence one asks? Will fines follow?

The ESG would also like to correct the statements being made of the zero impact of this latest in the run of oil spills. Zero impact means zero oil.

As an NGO that has followed the evolution of shipping and bunkering in Gibraltar the group has pressed for best technology and practice to be followed to protect the environment and eliminate air/noise and marine pollution to the least possible.

While some of these targets are being achieved, there is no doubt that much more needs to be done, and done quickly, to review why these incidental spills keep happening. The public should be told of the bunkering firms involved in selling the fuel along with whatever vessel is being serviced when an incident occurs. The ESG also believes the Port must exercise greater physical presence over the multiple bunkering operations going on in our waters as the ultimate authority for Pollution Prevention and Control. We would also insist that the industry is large enough to fund dedicated bunker inspectors to ensure standards by all operators are being adhered to during all transactions.

Bunkering is not only an economic pillar for Gibraltar. It is also a major multi million profit making business for the owners. As such, when mistakes are made, and spills occur, we think that huge fines must be given to all to ensure changes are made on the ground and tighter controls are put in place to act as serious deterrent. Instead we see some fines, clean up costs covered, a few local companies and departments working frantically to save our environment while bunkering continues, until the next one.

We need change.

News of yet another oil spill of heavy fuel oil is just what no one wanted to hear given the recent and successful departure of the OS35 – although even this vessel may still return to the Rock due to bad weather.

While details are still emerging it appears the spill came from a ship receiving bunker. It was an accident that should not have happened, given it was during a normal procedure, and the ESG asks why the spill occurred and what level of oversight was in place at the time. Given ship-to-ship bunkering is conducted 24/7 this rings alarm bells for all checks to be reviewed.

The thick, heavy fuel oil stated by the Port to have been released into our marine environment is toxic and will not evaporate – it will affect marine and bird life and will impact the coastline wherever it lands.

Indeed we have seen 3 beaches closed today: Rosia, Camp and Little Bay. In the peak of our summer any beach closure will also cause much frustration to our citizens given the searing temperatures we have at present.

That the polluter must pay for ecological damage goes without saying but the ESG would like to see an investigation into this oil spill and awaits further information on the scale and volume of heavy fuel oil released.

The ESG has been calling for our bunkering trade to diversify away from fossil fuels given the very high carbon emissions attributable to Gibraltar from this practice. However, it is also the air and noise pollution, as well as environmental impacts from oil spills, which also concerns the group.

Once again the Bluefin Tuna Fishing Season has opened in Gibraltar. Sadly, as per every year, the quota also continues to rise.

The ESG continues to oppose the practice of sport fishing of such an important marine species previously endangered, now ‘in recovery’, or other status, depending on the source of information. 

It was an important moment for the ESG to meet with Tony Juniper at the Aspire Conference, a major trailblazer for the environment for decades, and an inspiration for action.

In his Chronicle interview it was heartening to hear his recommendations to Gibraltar as to the need to diversify from our trade in fossil fuels for bunkering of ships and other vehicle fuel sales. This trade accounts for approximately 90% of our overall GHG emissions total.

This is a big issue for the group that has campaigned for years to see this major greenhouse house contributor feature far more prominently on our climate target aspirations.

“Overall, his reflections and comments were spot on”, says a spokesperson for the ESG,  “and we hope he will continue to visit Gibraltar and hopefully see us rise to the challenges laid before us.”

The ESG congratulates the Department of the Environment as organisers of the Aspire Conference, for a very well run and thought-provoking event.

Dynamic opening speeches from DCM Dr Joseph Garcia and Friends of the Earth ex Director, Tony Juniper, set the tone for the event with the latter calling for action and need for a revolution to address the climate emergency we are so clearly facing.

Focusing on sustainable development, some of the points made during the day include:

– large scale Government intervention required

–  robust response from industry and business needed,

–  community engagement

–  integrated development to encourage community friendly environment

–  adoption of simple and well tried measures to increase sustainability from scratch

–  exploration of all possible benefits of electrical solutions

–  the urgent need to foster a circular based economy that promotes reuse and recycling of unwanted or broken waste to reduce the reckless demand for our worlds dwindling resources

All with immediate effect and all measures supported by the ESG.

It was made clear by a number of speakers that the earlier sustainable practices are introduced in a construction project, the more financially viable they become. In the same way, buildings need to be prepared so their green credentials, once operational, can be efficiently measured.

The importance of radical change in development where most of the building is constructed offsite was another crucial point made. This method can reduce CO2 by up to 80% as well as reduce local impacts and pollution. Building ‘adaptable structures’ that can respond to different needs over time was a case very well made too. A strong message made, which we have failed to follow here in Gibraltar, is that:

“ the greenest building is the one we already have..”

• Those at the conference were clearly inspired by the many excellent speakers but, unless the Government, together with industry, rise to the challenge of the climate emergency, the conference will have failed in its aspirations, and this would be a disaster for the future. The group urges a greater commitment for greener and strategic construction from all in the sector and will lend its support wherever possible.

The ESG welcomes the recent developments from Government in taking meaningful steps to address issues important to the group.

It is positive news to learn of the ‘Aspire’ conference being held to focus and inform towards greener building standards and practices given that development and construction carry such major environmental impacts.

The publication of additional legislation via the new Environment Bill to commit Gibraltar to greater environmental compliance is also welcomed, but the group will be seeking information from Government on how this will work in practice over and above the many layers of existing environmental legislation in place today, not least, the immense challenge of meeting our Climate Change Strategy targets.

The ESG draws attention to World Earth Day celebrated tomorrow the 22^nd of April 2023. Fortunately these annual, global dates alone are no longer the only drivers for environmental action today but they do highlight the immense challenges ahead.

Halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 still remains the goal to preserve a liveable planet with net zero emissions to follow by 2050. That’s just 7 and 27 years away…literally a blink of an eye. The ESG will continue to press for greater and more visible action to be taken by all levels of society with Government clearly needed to set the agenda for action and priority.

More locally we also face the ongoing works to remove the OS35 vessel from our coastline. Even today, teams organised by the Department of the Environment have been removing tar balls from Sandy and Little Bay. We commend their monitoring and clean up but regret this ongoing oil pollution even running through to World Earth Day itself. The group notes that all beaches will be open to the public barring Little Bay, that will be partially closed, as works there continue. The ESG shares the widely held view that the removal of this vessel cannot come too soon.

On a more positive note it highlights another clean up led by The Nautilus Project on Sunday 23^rd April to mark World Earth Day from 11.30 to 1pm at Rosia Bay welcoming all volunteers.