Air Search director fears more rescues if fees rise
RESCUES at sea will increase if proposed fee hikes are levied on boat owners, a Channel Islands Air Search director fears.
Jason Hobbs said that if the harbour places between 50 and 100% extra fees on boat owners, as it wants to, people could seek to cut corners with safety equipment, which would result in more emergency rescues.
'This will have a negative knock-on effect.
'When you look at what we are called out for it is almost always poor maintenance. If these figures do go on the end-user we will see people stop their yearly service. It is the health and safety element I am concerned about, people spend all their money on their dream boat and then maintenance comes second, from services to making sure their lifejackets are up to date.'
The proposals to significantly increase the fees from 2016 is to help fund the biggest overhaul of the harbour in a generation.
But all the work comes with an £80m. price tag, half of which will go on a new terminal, customs facilities and re-configuring St Peter Port land side port layout.
Have you seen our new classifieds site? Buy it, sell it with BiSi
