Closing coastguard stations, axeing emergency rescue tugs put safety in jeopardy
Closing coastguard stations, axeing emergency rescue tugs and privatising search-and-rescue helicopters, pose a potential threat to sea safety, it has been warned.
Seafarers union Nautilus said the cuts would leave a “gaping hole in the safety net” around Westcountry shipping waters and could not come at a worse time. It believe risks to shipping are increasing because of the current global economic crisis.
Nautilus spokesman Andrew Linington said it was “hugely concerned” by the cumulative impact of the cutbacks.
“There is a big worry at the moment that, because of the economies the shipping industry is suffering and with companies not even covering the cost of operations, the first thing to go is training and maintenance,” he said. “That all increases the risks of things going wrong.
“The point is that we don’t expect, we know that demand for rescue services is increasing because of the state of the industry and you can see that already in the marine insurance statistics.”
Under the scaled-back modernisation plans, Falmouth would become the only coastguard station covering the entire South West peninsula by 2015. Brixham, which coordinates rescues from Fowey to Exmouth, is set to close, along with Portland in Dorset, which covers parts of East Devon, and Swansea, which has responsibility for North Devon.
The Government has also axed the Maritime Incident Response Group – 15 fire teams from Cornwall Council which work with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to tackle fires and chemical spills at sea – and the emergency towing vessels. The emergency tug, stationed at Falmouth, carried out 11 tows between 2006 and 2010, preventing possible loss of life and environmental damage.
“Each of those services is a link the safety chain,” Mr Linington added. “The Government is eroding those links.”
Ministers have insisted that the coastguard service had to be reformed and the new structure provide a better service. Shipping Minister Mike Penning said he understood concerns about the loss of the emergency tugs, but that “difficult decisions” had to be made in order to tackle the deficit. “Should a ship get into difficulty,” he said, “we are confident the commercial salvage sector are prepared to offer sufficient assistance.”
Mr Linington also said they “remain to be convinced” that the Government’s option to privatise search and rescue helicopter services is the right move. Ministers revived the plans this week saying it would deliver faster helicopters than Sea Kings operated by the MoD, which are due to be retired from service in 2016. Helicopters could be moved from RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, and RMB Chivenor, North Devon.
Source: Western Morning News