On the eve of crunch talks over the future of emergency tugs in Scotland, Western Isles Council has warned that the situation is a disaster waiting to happen.
The warning comes after a Dutch cargo vessel was towed by tug to Kirkwall in Orkney for repairs at the weekend following an engine breakdown shortly after passing through the Pentland Firth on Saturday.
The Orkney Towage tug Einar was called to the assistance of the Schokland, which was drifting without power two miles off the south-west coast of Hoy.
Now Western Isles Council is to continue the case, along with colleagues in neighbouring councils, for an ETV to again be based in the West of Scotland.
After the eighth storm of the season, Henry, battered the coasts of Scotland last week, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has invited stakeholders to a meeting to discuss the future of ETV provision in the UK.
The move comes less than two months before the end of the current contract for the last remaining government funded ETV.
Western Isles Council convener Cllr Norman MacDonald, who will attend the meeting in Edinburgh on Wednesday, said: “I believe that the number of incidents over the past few years highlight the very serious risks around our coastal waters,” said Cllr MacDonald.
“It is absolutely essential that we have an additional ETV, based on the west coast, so that we have adequate safety measures in place to respond swiftly to incidents, to protect lives and minimize the risk of environmental damage.
“We remain very concerned, as do colleagues in neighbouring councils, about the current situation – the suggestion that the north based ETV could also be removed when the current contract expires in two months, is quite frankly incomprehensible. What we need is additional provision; not a reduction.
“I will reiterate our strong belief that the north based tug contract should be renewed and we will urgently seek a reinstatement of a west coast based ETV.”
Since the Government’s 2010 Spending Review, the Minch and Northern Islands have been serviced by only one ETV, based in Kirkwall in Orkney.
The removal of the other ETV, previously based in Stornoway, means that it could take hours for emergency assistance to get to a vessel in distress, particularly on the west coast.
The Kirkwall vessel is only funded until March. The UK Government has yet to make a commitment to retain the ship.