Manuel Tirado

Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA)

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 important 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, and with nearly 240 million gross tonnes of vessel calls per year this is clearly the case. Gibraltar is a bustling commercial centre and with over 71,000 vessels transiting the Strait of Gibraltar each year, the Rock has developed into a major bunkering port – 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 to various destinations in the UK and experienced agents are on hand to obtain spare parts, supply provisions and effect crew changes. The Port Authority The Gibraltar Port Authority was established in 2005. Its strategy is to build on Gibraltar's unique geographical position and provide a vital link between all shipping stakeholders in order to deliver the best possible service to visiting ships, in a safe and efficient operating environment. As part of delivering this core function, we manage safety of navigation, as well as regulating the various activities which are carried out in our waters. Notable among these is the regulation of the bunkering industry, for which we attract international recognition for our best practice. The vision for the future builds on this success, and extends this level of partnership and transparency to all sectors of the industry at our Port.