Survey needed for Minch deep water route
Highland and Western Isles Councils have re-established an inter-authority group to press for increased safety measures in the Minch following dissatisfaction with Government action on monitoring and regulating shipping in the channel, which both authorities claim has not gone far enough.
The group is also considering how to cover the concerns of councillors in Caithness, who fear that the Pentland Firth could also be the victim of an environmental disaster caused by dangerous cargoes. Group member councillor Donald Manford, who chairs Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s transportation committee, said that shipping had to be compelled to report in to coastguards, rather than be left with the voluntary reporting system currently in operation.
Emergency towing vessels were established in a number of locations around the British coast following the ‘Braer’ sinking off Shetland in 1993. Although they are there to help tow vessels in distress, they still face problems with ship masters who refuse to be taken in tow for insurance and salvage reasons, and who also refuse to give details of cargo and voyage.
Councillor Manford said: “We have achieved a fair amount, but we have still to get the Government to carry out a hydrographic survey west of the Hebrides to designate a deep water route, which will keep dangerous shipping well clear of the Minch. Ship owners say that this has not been properly charted and that they need accurate charts of reefs, sandbanks and water depths.
"We also have to persuade shipping that they must give us details of where they are sailing to and from and what they are carrying. A lot of them do that voluntarily, but a lot refuse. One way of doing that would be to give the ETV operated by the Maritime Coastguard Agency powers to approach these ships and demand these details from them.”
The two councils have also been pressing the Government to identify safe havens where vessels in distress could be taken to help contain any potential pollution, which the ships were being assessed and possibly repaired.
Councillor Manford commented: “There is still a lot of work to be done to identify the safe havens. These communities must know what is happening, and have firm agreements on any compensation payments. If they are to suffer environmental damage to prevent wider damage, the terms of compensation must be set out clearly. So far the Government has been reluctant to do that.”
Source: http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/9103 Calls_for_increased_safety_measures_in_the_Minch.html