The Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) Task Group met in Inverness on Friday 2 September to agree urgent action to convince the UK Government to extend the contract for the 2 ETVs in the Highlands and Islands for 6 months. The current contract for the ETVs runs out in only 4 weeks time. Linking in with local authority Leaders and MPs in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, as well as in Inverness, the discussion focused on the potential for catastrophic damage to the Highland and Islands’ waters and coastline should there be another shipping disaster, such as the Braer, with the potential for loss of life as well as long term environmental and economic damage. MPs were informed that no formal risk assessment had…
