States to look at replacing Leopardess

A replacement Sea Fisheries patrol vessel is unlikely to be in service until 2015, even if States members agree to prioritise it.

Commerce and Employment has put forward a bid to replace the Leopardess (pictured) as part of the capital prioritisation programme – an investment plan costing up to £335m.

In the September Billet d'Etat, the department said as the vessel approached the end of its 20-year working life, it was an expensive asset to maintain.

There was a risk of equipment failure due to age plus associated substantial replace and repair costs increased annually, it said. However, there is no indication how much a new vessel might cost because Treasury and Resources has not included the estimated costs for individual projects in its capital prioritisation report.