In brief for 11 July 2011
Coastguard contract
THE UK government has announced that it will be tendering for a five year interim contract to run the coastguard search and rescue helicopter services out of Sumburgh and three other bases in Britain.
The move follows February’s announcement that the previous tendering exercise for a long term contract worth £6 billion had been abandoned due to irregularities that are still being investigated.
During that process, the preferred bidder was due to introduce Sikorsky helicopters such as those used at Sumburgh to all rescue centres, including those run by the Royal Navy and the RAF.
Those military centres will continue to operate as they are for the time being, transport secretary Philip Hammond said.
Meanwhile the government is expected to respond to the consultation on the future of the coastguard service before next Tuesday when Parliament rises. Current proposals to close 10 stations and reduce most of the remaining ones to daylight only are expected to be scrapped.
There have been suggestions that the proposal will be to retain 11 stations, including Lerwick, and maintain them all as 24 hour operations.
They’re off
ALMOST 50 vessels participating in the Tall Ships Race start their nine day cruise from Greenock to Lerwick on Tuesday.
Tens of thousands of people greeted the ships in Greenock over the past four days, prior to the “cruise in company” to the northern isles taking in the ports of Campbeltown, Port Ellen, Oban, Ullapool, Stornoway, Kirkwall, Stromness, Fair Isle, Scalloway, Yell, Unst and Whalsay.
The ships are due to arrive for four days of partying in Lerwick on 21 July after covering 484 nautical miles.
Race director Paul Bishop said: “The captains and crews always look forward to the Cruise in Company leg of The Tall Ships Races, and after such a tactical race, I’m sure they will all appreciate a leisurely sail in addition to experiencing a local community welcome from the various harbours involved. More information is at www.tallshipsraceslerwick.com/cruise-in-company
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CFP reform
PROPOSALS for reform of the much-maligned Common Fisheries Policy are to be published by Brussels on Wednesday.
The Scottish government and fishing leaders are pressing for more regional control of fisheries and hope to influence change before new rules are imposed in 2013.
Fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead described the CFP as “a busted flush” and called for an end to “reckless remote control by Brussels”.
“Our key guiding principle is that much more management of Scotland’s vast and rich fisheries should be decided in Scotland, working in partnership with neighbouring maritime nations where required,” he said.
Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong added: “There is still the real fear that the reform will end up as a wasted opportunity and that would be a tragedy.
“The EC has been making encouraging noises on regional management, but the concern is that the final proposals will not go far enough and will be a halfway house of smudge and comprise.”
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