Slow progress for tug towing salmon cages back to Shetland

Attempts to bring ashore 12 salmon cages which went adrift from their moorings south of Unst during the Christmas storms have today been making slow progress.

The large pens were taken under tow by the Danish tug Westsund yesterday after the wayward cages were rediscovered 89 miles east of Bressay on Friday morning by a Marine Scotland spotter plane.

However the tug was today struggling in its bid to bring the cages ashore at Sandwick. The vessel has been sailing against a force seven wind, and at one point was making no more progress than half a knot.  The tow on the pens broke 60 miles east of the islands, although it has since been reconnected.

Representatives from Meridian Salmon Group, owners of the cages, were in Shetland last week to overse the search amid concerns the pens could be a danger to shipping in the area.