Pollution concern after boat sinks in lough

Pollution concern after boat sinks in lough

URGENT action is needed to stop environmental damage in Strangford Lough after a large pleasure craft sank off Portaferry this morning.

The leisure craft, which has been moored at the Ards and North Down Council-owned Cook Street quay for some time, sank early this morning.

Two local politicians have appealed for urgent action to take place to prevent oil or diesel from polluting the internationally acclaimed waterway.

The Alliance Party’s Strangford MLA, Kellie Armstrong, said diesel has begun to leak into the lough and she has urged action is taken to prevent any environmental damage.

“Strangford Lough is environmentally sensitive, so I have asked the council a number of times to raise my concerns but no action has been taken,” said Mrs Armstrong.

“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 to 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.”

Portaferry SDLP councillor said the vessel has been moored at the quay for some time as it was not seaworthy to be moved.

“For some time there have been pumps operating on board the vessel but clearly something happened overnight and the boat sank to the lough bed,” he said.

“We are all now concerned that fuel and oil could leak out into the lough which could have an environmental impact.

“I don’t know who is now responsible for cleaning up what can only be described as a mess, but something needs to be done to prevent any pollution and to return the seafront in Portaferry to the way it once was,” he added.

Ards and North Down Borough Council declined to comment and said it will be issuing a statement later today.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Helvetica; min-height: 22.0px} span.s1 {letter-spacing: 0.0px}