Scotland's coastline and marine environment are now at risk following the UK Government's removal from service today of our emergency towing vessels said Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment Richard Lochhead.
The removal of the tugs is the first in a long-line of proposed cuts by Westminster under the guise of modernisation, which if taken forward will leave worrying gaps in service provision, says the government.
Concern has escalated this week over the cumulative impact of these uncoordinated proposals including the downgrading of Aberdeen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) which could see decades of irreplaceable expertise in dealing with incidents in the North Sea discarded.
Mr Lochhead said: "The loss of our emergency towing vessel today is of huge concern and could be back to haunt UK Ministers, should a serious incident occur. The UK Government has scrapped this vital service without putting any alternative in place. That is unacceptable and it must be held to account before it is too late. It would be an utter tragedy if questions were only to be raised after an event.
"The Scottish Government has made several representations to the UK Government on this issue.
"There is also growing concern the cumulative impact of these uncoordinated proposals will put lives at risk and seriously hamper Scotland's ability to deal with emergency situations, particularly in relation to the Oil and Gas sector.
"The experience and skills currently available at the Aberdeen MRCC cannot be replicated elsewhere in the UK and so it is crucial this centre remains fully staffed and the centre point for any response to an incident in the North Sea. I reiterate my call for the UK shipping Minister Mike Penning to visit this fantastic resource to see first-hand the work that goes on.
"We must be absolutely sure that any modernisation of our maritime safety services is carried out to improve the safety of our maritime workers and give the agencies involved the tools they need to respond. It is vital that an adequate level of protection for our spectacular coastline and precious marine environment is maintained.
"As I said earlier this week, the UK Government's current approach to modernising these services is uncoordinated at best. With proposed cuts across the country including downgrading Aberdeen MRCC and closure of the Forth and Clyde coastguard services, as well as ongoing uncertainty over the Air Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Kinloss, serious questions must be asked of the UK Government about how this is being handled. The cuts to Scotland's hugely important maritime rescue services begin today. Where do they end?"
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