Mowi feed barge sinks in storm

SCOTTISH salmon farmer Mowi (formerly Marine Harvest) has reported the sinking of one of its feed barges in the Outer Hebrides.
No staff were aboard when the barge sank in the early hours of Thursday morning near Lochboisdale, Uist, after taking on water during a storm of 2m swells. Mowi said there was no other significant damage to the site and no fish were harmed.
The cylindrical feed barge, a SeaCap, contains 170 tonnes of fish feed within the unit, and approximately 1,000 litres of diesel fuel in a sealed tank. There are no reports of debris or fuel visible at sea or on the nearby shore line.
As the weather breaks, scuba divers will be safely deployed to inspect the unit and plan a recovery of the barge and contents, which sit at 20m depth, said Mowi.
The cause of the water breach is not yet known and authorities have been notified of the incident.
Picture: The farm pictured last November with the SeaCap barge in the background (photo: Mowi)