As oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, Mark has welcomed new regulations introduced by the last Government to control ship-to-ship transfers of oil in UK waters.

This followed a long campaign by Mark but the new regulations are now under threat as a result of opposition within the shipping industry.

Mark said:

“The need for regulation is being highlighted every night in the pictures on TV of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“I was determined to make sure that kind of tragedy doesn’t happen in the Firth of Forth by pressing for transfers to be confined to licensed ports where the proper safety measures are fully in place.

“Oil from the Torrey Canyon disaster off the Welsh coast is still killing wildlife over 40 years later.

“I am fighting to prevent the new regulations being scrapped before they have even been given a chance to work simply because of opposition from the shipping industry against its own best interests.”

Mark has tabled an Early Day Motion welcoming the new regulations in reaction to another calling for them to be axed and he is now canvassing support amongst other MPs.

He introduced a Private Members Bill in 2008 which led to the new Government deciding to take action on the issue. The campaign resulted from the concerns of constituents and organisations like RSPB Scotland at the potential environmental and economic impacts of accidents resulting from transfer proposals around the Firth of Forth.

You may be interested to read coverage in the Evening News here and the Dundee Courrier by clicking here.