Councillors to continue campaigning for coastguard tug
16 September 2016
The emergency coastguard tug was removed from Stornoway
Two island councillors have pledged to keep up the pressure for a coastguard tug to be based in the Western Isles.
The emergency towing vessel (ETV) was removed four years ago under a cost cutting exercise by the UK Government.
Orkney-
In the wake of the grounding of the Transocean Winner oil rig off Lewis, some 1,500 people sign a petition organised by SNP councillors Rae Mackenzie and Gordon Murray.
However, the government has already concluded that a second tug is not warranted.
SNP councillors Rae Mackenzie and Gordon Murray said the recent Transocean Winner
oil rig grounding on Lewis showed a tug should be stationed on the west coast.
The councillors thanked all the people who signed the petition.
Rae Mackenzie said: " Myself and councillor Murray were overwhelmed by the response
to our petition and certainly underlines the communities' desire to safeguard the
coastline as well as making it safer for vessels.
"Although, the MCA have turned down
an ETV stationed on the west coast , they have moved towards our position by having
the current ETV, which is stationed in Orkney, to patrol the waters it is responsible
for."
"This is not enough and the Western Isles SNP Group will continue to campaign
for an ETV to be stationed on the west coast."