QUESTIONS are being asked about why the Buckie dredger is idle yet again. The MV Selkie has not been out to sea for the past three months due to “staffing issues” which have not been made public by Moray Council. The vessel, which cost the local authority £2.4 million, was launched with great fanfare back in April 2016. However, the vessel has since spent far more time holed up in Buckie Harbour rather than out on the open water. Councillor Gordon Cowie raised the issue at last week’s meeting of the council’s economic development committee. Cllr Cowie (Buckie, Independent) asked: “When is it going back to sea? Are a crew being advertised for? I would like to know a timescale.” In reply, the council’s transport manager, Nicola Moss, said: “The vessel works internally for internal needs and that’s based on need and weather conditions. “In terms of external work, that’s based on when work is procured from us. “In terms of all the other matters,
members have been routinely updated with appropriate information on that and we will continue to crew the vessel and work it when it’s safe and appropriate to do so.” In response, Cllr Cowie said: “All I’m asking is this – is the vessel crewed at the moment and is it ready to go to sea if required?” Ms Moss replied: “As already discussed, we are able to crew the vessel.”
It was claimed at the time of the launch that the dredger would not only keep Moray’s harbours in good working order, but would also bring in money to the local authority by being available to clear harbours elsewhere along the coast. It performed just 71 days of work last year and only 53 in 2016. The exact nature of the latest troubles surrounding the MV Selkie have not been made public by the council.