Following the sinking of the Regina Caelis at the harbour in Portaferry, a number o local politicians have commented on the incident.
Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, (DUP) has thanked Ards and North Down Council and the NIEA for their support and effective action to control the diesel spill after the sinking of a schooner at Portaferry last week.
A fire ensued and diesel leaked into a very important ecological and sensitive area of Strangford Lough and it is hoped that further remedial action will take place to restore fully the shores and habitat around where the fire took place.
“I understand that the area where the fire took place could be unusable for some time and I do believe that council needs to quickly clarify for the general public and in particular boat users and those who use the location for fuelling as to when it can be used again and what will happen in the meantime. These critical issues affect everyday life and some more direction is needed.”
Ards and North Down Borough Councillor Joe Boyle (SDLP Assembly candidate) has stated that the Council, Coast Guard, NIEA and others acted appropriately whenever contacted following the sinking of the Regina Caleas, a 120-feet long wooden boat berthed at Portaferry’s Cooke Street harbour.
He said: “Thankfully it is the expert opinion from the various agencies including the NIEA that the medium to long-term damaged caused to Strangford Lough and the life within is deemed to be minimum and should not create problems.
“It is also important to contradict some ill-informed and mid-guided information that appeared on social media sites that the Council had funded £40k towards the cost of repairing this vessel. This thinking is simply incorrect and something that the public should be aware of.
“As the only elected member that has worked over a prolonged period of time from October 2015 with Council Officers, the owners and employees of this stricken vessel and who has arranged a number of meetings, I am all too familiar with the process and as to where we had come from and our intentions to get to, until this untimely incident occurred.
” I met with the crew, some from India including the engineer on board the vessel, along with the Captain who contacted me from Malta during the weekend expressing his shock and deep disappointment on seeing on social media the Regina Caelis in such a state at the Cook Street Quay in Portaferrry.
“He also expressed his regret to the Portaferry community for the problem caused to the area and potentially Strangford Lough, but believed that this outcome was out of his control. He also wanted to thank the Portaferry community for their hospitality to him and the crew all of whom enjoyed their time in Portaferry whilst restoring the Regina Caelis and is really saddened by such an end to vessel that he believed had so much potential.”
Strangford MLA candidate Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) has also added her voice to the sinking incident and called for immediate action to stop environmental damage following the sinking of a boat moored in Portaferry.
She said: “Although several attempts have been made to repair the vessel, it has been moored at the harbour in Cook Street since it arrived early last year.
“Gallons of diesel from the boat have now begun to leak into Strangford Lough. I have contacted a number of agencies about this hazzard.
“Strangford Lough is environmentally sensitive, so I have asked the Council a number of times to raise my concerns but no action seems to have been taken. The Northern Ireland Environmental Agency have pledged to check the scene but we are still waiting for that to take place.
“This has the potential to damage the specific and important Strangford Lough environment, and therefore I ask all relevant agencies treat this as an urgent case.
“I also call upon the Council to review their policy of allowing boats not in a fit state to be moored for so long at their quays. This environmental damage could have been averted if agencies had acted much more quickly to get the owner to repair and make the vessel seaworthy.”
Related links:
http://www.downnews.co.uk/regina-caelis-sinks-at-portaferry-harbour/
