Cheetah Marine could lose their valuable contract with the Isle of Wight council for the removal of seaweed from Ventnor Haven, which runs until the end of March 2017.
Officers of the Isle of Wight council have commissioned an engineering assessment to explore ways to reduce the considerable expense of clearing seaweed from the Haven every year.
Almost half a million pounds in five years
According to Isle of Wight Council (IWC) Spending Data, Cheetah Marine has, since 2010, received over half a million pounds for harbour master duties, as well as removal of seaweed from the Haven.
The IWC now carry out the harbour master duties, with Cheetah Marine just being responsible for removing seaweed and where possible, ensure the Council’s compliance with environmental legislation (more on this below).
The Haven: A great asset to Ventnor
The Haven itself brings a lot to Ventnor – not only providing local employment, but also many visitors to the town who are keen make their pilgrimage to purchase the freshly-landed fish available from Ventnor Haven Fishery.
Other options being investigated
The cost of the seaweed being removed by Cheetah Marine from the Haven is £72,580 per annum.
With cuts to funding from the Government, IWC Officers say this figure is no longer sustainable they have commissioned engineers, Royal Haskoning, to “investigate options to prevent or reduce the macroalgae entering the Haven”.
It’s hoped an engineering solution can be created to mitigate ongoing removal costs.
Subsidised to the tune of £112,000
The Haven’s latest Annual Accounts reveal its turnover reduced from £22,000 in 2014-15 to just £19,000 in 2105-16.
The costs, expenses and depreciation totalled £131,000, meaning the Haven is run at a net loss of £112,000 – which has been covered by the Isle of Wight council.
With the current seaweed removal arrangements costing over half of the yearly operating costs for the Haven, it’s hardly surprisingly that the council is looking to find other methods to reduce them.
Remove the stink
For many years, no one would accept responsibility for the removal of the seaweed. Back in 2010, the then-Ventnor County councillor, Chris Welsford, worked hard to find a solution to remove the ‘stink’ from the Haven – finding the Isle of Wight council responsible.
Concerns about the running costs of the Haven have been raised many times over the past years. The Annual Accounts now indicate that this issue is finally being addressed by the council.
Operating without a licence?
Near the foot of the report, Alex Minns, Head of Commercial Services, explains that the council should have had a licence in place to deposit the seaweed over the harbour wall back into the sea.
This has subsequently been granted by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for a ten year period.
The detail
The detail can be read in full in the paper below. Click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
Image: ronsaunders47 under CC BY 2.0
