Gibraltar Port Authority

North Mole,

Tel: +350 200 77254

Fax: +350 200 51513

Email: ceo.gpa@.net

Web: www.gibraltarport.com

No 259/2009 Date: 4 th December 2009 Statement by Captain of the Port

The is surprised at the political reaction in to the announcement of the very successful conclusion of the New Flame salvage. Given very recent, and not so recent events, it is clear that Gibraltar is not the principal cause of pollution in the Bay of Gibraltar. Sr Landaluce has been deafeningly quite on the very serious marine pollution caused recently to the Bay in the Campamento dry dock. Senator Carracao says that Gibraltar needs to show humility because if Spain’s help had been sought the salvage would not have taken so long. This is simply untrue. It should also be noted that the MV Don Pedro, which sank just outside Ibiza harbour a few weeks before the New Flame, remains on the bottom of the sea bed, intact and untouched. By any honest and politically objective assessment, this complex and dangerous salvage has been carried out competently, successfully and in a very timely fashion, especially given its location and the consequent need for the salvage operations to be programmed around very variable, inclement and dangerous weather condition in the . The Gibraltar Port Authority is neither impressed nor persuaded by knee-jerk political reactions based on factual double standards, demonstrable technical ignorance and political prejudice. Fair minded Spanish public opinion should not be either.