Divers have been sent to plug leaks in a sunken craft in a bid to minimise the damage from an oil slick off the Scottish coast.
Experts are in the process of trying to salvage the wreckage of the craft near a fish farm in waters off the Isle of Mull.
Temporary floating barriers to contain the toxic substance have been deployed around the wreckage of the Julie Anne by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Contracted by Scottish Sea Farms as a fish farm landing craft, it sank on Thursday, July 4, at the firm’s salmon farm in the Sound of Mull near Fiunary.
Divers have been checking on the boat, which lies in 65ft (20m) of water, several times a day to ensure fuel leaks are kept to minimum.
But video footage of the area shows the shoreline covered with an oily substance and a distinctive slick in the sea near the farm.
SEPA yesterday said the leak had been contained, but the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carried out surveillance flights of the site while a solution was found.
Environmental campaigners last night warned of the risk of fish being poisoned.
Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity and leader of the Green Britain Group said: ‘The fuel spill in a Marine Protected Area near Fiunary isn’t just an isolated incident – it’s a glaring symptom of the fundamental flaws in open-net salmon farming.
‘This industry is wreaking havoc on precious marine habitats, and it’s high time we face this head-on. The current practices are simply unsustainable and unacceptable. What’s more, the fact that polluted fish may end up on consumers’ plates is deeply troubling.
‘We’re at a crossroads – we can either continue to degrade our coastal waters and compromise food safety or take bold action to revolutionise our approach to salmon farming and marine stewardship.’
Gerry McCormick, Scottish Sea Farms head of health and safety, said the incident was rare and that the firm is now focused on removing the fuel from the surface of the water and refloating the vessel.
He said: ‘Our immediate priority, with the assistance of specialist divers and environmental services, has been to check for any potential fuel leaks, seal any areas found to be releasing small quantities of fuel, and re-check these multiple times daily. As an added precaution, we have also deployed oil booms around the incident area.
‘Our collective focus now is on removing the fuel and re-floating the vessel – a first for Scottish Sea Farms in close to 25 years of farming – which we hope to have done within the week, after which we will carry out a full and thorough inspection.’
A SEPA official said: ‘The operator placed booms in the water to contain any potential pollution and prevent dispersal, and divers have been monitoring the vessel to check for and plug leaks.
‘While a small fuel leakage was initially observed, this has been contained and no further pollution has been recorded. The operator will continue to apply mitigation measures before the vessel is recovered.
‘We continue to liaise with the operator and Marine Directorate as we monitor the situation closely to ensure any potential environmental impacts are limited.’
A spokesman for MCA said it was reviewing the plan being formed by the experts charged with salvaging the vessel.
He added: ‘The Secretary of State’s Representative is involved and is monitoring the recovery actions.’
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