SIC wants emergency tug cover guarantee

September 2, 2015 at 2:36 pm

The emergency towing vessel Herakles pictured at Hatston Pier this afternoon. (Picture: Craig Taylor) — The emergency towing vessel Herakles pictured at Hatston Pier. (Craig Taylor)

Shetland Islands Council is calling on the UK government to guarantee the future provision of Emergency Towing Vessels (ETV) in the Northern Isles.

Funding for the vessel currently stationed in Orkney is only in place until March 2016, and, according to the SIC, there appears to be no plans to continue that essential cover beyond that date.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, SIC leader Gary Robinson says it is unacceptable that the already limited provision of such vessels should come to an end.

Provision for the Northern Isles was reduced in 2010 following the Government’s Spending Review, and the SIC now has grave concerns that it may be withdrawn altogether next year.

Mr Robinson said: “I will be meeting with the Secretary of State next month, and this issue will be very high on the agenda.

“There’s been a marked increase in shipping around our shores in recent years due to the presence of the oil and gas industry – and Shetland now has a seafood industry worth £300 million a year to the local economy. It’s simply unacceptable that we should be left without such essential protection in an area which can have such hostile weather conditions.”

He added: “It took years of lobbying to get an emergency tug based here following the loss of the Braer, and it is unthinkable that that cover could now be removed.”