GIBRALTAR — Citing multiple accidents including the recent death of a German tourist, dive operators in Gibraltar are demanding government regulations aimed at enhancing diver safety. Authorities have not yet released the name of a 55-year-old German tourist but told CDNN he died while scuba diving off Camp Bay on Saturday. According to unconfirmed reports, the scuba diving accident victim was staying at a hotel in Spain where he booked a Gibraltar dive trip with a Spain-based dive operator. Dive operators in Gibraltar complain they have to compete with at least five scuba diving companies based in Spain that regularly bring divers across the border to dive in Gibraltar waters. They also accuse Spanish dive shop owners of failing to provide adequate supervision of their customers. Stephen Henshaw, who owns Dive Hire, claims to have witnessed 17 scuba diving accidents over the past five years that involved divers who were customers of Spanish dive shop owners. Henshaw claims Spanish dive company owners and staff "don't know the local conditions", which causes accidents. Another local diver, Dr Eric Shaw, director of the marine section of the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Organisation and founder of The Helping Hand Trust, a marine conservation group, said he would welcome government regulations. "There's a great deal that we don't know about diving activity in Gibraltar waters," Shaw told local reporters. "We're not following any basic criteria, where the rest of Europe is." According to local journalist, Brian Reyes, an initiative aimed at regulating diving activities in Gibraltar waters has been under discussion by government officials for some time. Reyes recently wrote that Chief Minister Peter Caruana has acknowledged the government is "reviewing the situation with a view to licensing and regulating diving activity in British waters around the Rock." Officials in Gibraltar say new laws would need to be enacted if existing health, safety and environmental laws are not adequate to effectively regulate and control all diving acitivities in Gibraltar. | 
