United front on protecting Highland and Islands’ shores
The Highland Council will join an inter-council delegation heading to London on Monday (7 February) to highlight the critical importance of retaining existing levels of rescue services in waters around the Highlands and Islands.
Senior representatives of Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles Councils are meeting UK Shipping Minister, Mike Penning, to urge him to retain the two emergency towing vessels which are based in Stornoway and Lerwick and also retain the 24-hour Coastguard Stations at Stornoway and Lerwick.
The Highland Council Leader Councillor Michael Foxley will be leading on the case to retain the emergency towing vessels.
He recalled that the emergency towing vessels were introduced as a result of the Braer oil tanker disaster in 1993 to prevent the loss of lives and ships as well as the avoidance of pollution incidents.
He said four recent major incidents in the Minches had brought into sharp focus the hugely valuable role played in each by the tug and he will be arguing strongly for their retention in their island locations.
The UK Government is planning to withdraw the vessels, as well as those based in Dover and Falmouth, when the current contract with private operator, Klyne Tugs, owned by JP Knight, ends in September, this year.
He said: “As well as attending distressed and disabled vessels, the towing vessels are used to escort certain vessels through the Minch on the grounds of safety. They have fire fighting capability and have the ability to provide an on scene communications and command platform, which is critically important given the withdrawal of the RAF Nimrod aircraft.”
He says there is no commercial alternative to the existing towing vessel, the Anglic Prince.
He also says the Councils believe that the Anglian Prince could source other Government marine-related work.
He concluded: “It is absolutely essential that we have adequate cover off our shores. There will be an increase in developments in the oil and gas fields and an increase in the use of marine renewables. There are alternative funding streams available such as the Crown Estates. This is not the time to be reducing maritime protection especially with the loss of the Nimrod cover. ”