The New Flame accident off the southern tip of Gibraltar is set to spur efforts by authorities on the Rock and in Spain to find ways of tightening maritime safety in the region.

Politicians have already agreed to discuss practical measures for cooperation in this field within the context of the trilateral process and maritime matters which will form a key element of the agenda for the next round of talks.
As B2B has reported in past issues, the background to these efforts is growing traffic and ever-expanding port capacity within the confines of the Bay of Gibraltar, and the Strait of Gibraltar beyond.
The Bay is home to a refinery, a coal terminal, two shipyards and one of the world’s busiest container transhipment hubs. It is also a premier spot for bunkering in the Mediterranean, thanks largely to lively competition in Gibraltar.
Add to that mix, the fact that Algeciras is Europe’s busiest launch pad for ferry services to Morocco, and the result is simple: on any given day, the Bay is a vibrant hive of maritime activity.
The collision between the bulker New Flame and the tanker Torm Gertrud last August, illustrated perfectly the potential risks in the Bay.
The tanker was coming into Algeciras, the bulker was sailing from Gibraltar. It was not the first collision of its sort.
Now, the focus is on ensuring that both ports coordinate their respective vessel movements to avoid a reoccurrence. Although there is contact between the ports at ground level, there is no formal framework for these exchanges.
One likely option is the introduction of a formal traffic separation scheme, which would help to “de-conflict” shipping in the Bay.
At political level, the idea has already been tabled within the context of the Tripartite Process, though details are still sketchy.
“Nothing has been agreed at this stage, but there is an expression of willingness to proceed with this,” said Peter Caruana, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, at a press conference in January.
Another intention is to establish a formal framework to coordinate each port’s contingency plans and capabilities in the event of a major pollution incident.
Ultimately the aim is to agree a compatible protocol and allow teams on either side of the border to carry out joint exercises.
Mr Caruana’s direct involvement in the wake of the casualty, speaks volumes for the prominence that maritime affairs have taken following the New Flame incident, which was the latest in a string of accidents.
Politicians in this area have learnt through bitter experience that maritime accidents – no matter how minor – make big headlines and can easily undermine hard-earned gains in other areas of cross-border cooperation.
The point was sharply illustrated in the run-up to the Spanish genera election on March 9, when the wreck of the New Flame became an icon for political groups and NGOs wishing to make capital out of the accident.
Perhaps the most prominent of those groups was Greenpeace, which in February managed to get two activists on board the wreck and unfurled a banner reading ‘Diplomatic Pollution’.
“The governments on either side of the Bay have spent six months looking for someone to blame and arguing over the jurisdiction of these waters, and in the meantime the New Flame caused seven oil spills,” a spokesman for Greenpeace Spain said. “In all that time they have not yet resolved the problem and the ship is still a potential source of new spills.”
While the New Flame appears to have caused some pollution, experts on both sides of the Bay insist that they were minor in nature. Looked at coldly, the response to the casualty, properly handled.
In the initial stages of the casualty, Gibraltar’s maritime authorities moved swiftly to rescue the ship’s crew. In the ensuing weeks, leading Greek salvor Tsavliris removed the fuel oil from the vessel and attempted to remove the wreck.
Difficult weather conditions and the deteriorating condition of the ship forced underwriters to review their plans and a contract was eventually awarded to Titan Salvage, which is currently engaged in the wreck removal.
Again, persistent foul weather has repeatedly stalled plans to break the ship in two and remove it from its exposed location.
Even Spanish politicians acknowledged that, despite the noise about the New Flame, nothing much had happened.
Speaking in Algeciras before the election, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said Spain had urged Gibraltar to expedite the removal of the wreck but added “there is no need to be worried”.
“You cannot compare the New Flame with the Prestige,” he said.