Public meetings are being held to discuss the future of Sark Shipping amid concerns over this winter’s sailing schedules and the recent resignations of the company’s Non-Executive Directors.
The first meeting at the Island Hall at midday today will be followed by an evening session on a date to be confirmed.
The lunchtime meeting today will start with an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Isle of Sark Shipping Co. Ltd. The EGM agenda is “limited to the consideration of the recent resignations of the Non-Executive Directors, the appointment of a temporary Non-Executive Director, and the agreement of a formal, rigorous and transparent procedure for the appointment of new Non-Executive Directors” said the company.
Following the EGM there will be time for feedback on the winter timetables too.
Both Sark Shipping and Chief Pleas’ Harbours, Shipping & Pilotage and Tourism Committees have encouraged stakeholders to attend.
The resignations were announced recently, followed by the publication of the winter timetables.
From the beginning of next month, Sunday sailings will be dropped with no sailings on alternate Wednesday’s from 10 November through until the end of March.
There will be just one sailing in each direction on most Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays throughout the winter too.
The Harbours, Shipping & Pilotage and Tourism Committees have said this is necessary to safeguard future services. Some Sark residents have criticised the reduction in service though.
“(We) recognise that some tough decisions are having to be made regarding our lifeline shipping company,” said the committees in a joint statement. “These decisions have not been taken lightly, but they are guided by the clear aim of ensuring the company remains resilient and capable of supporting Sark and its economy – not just in the immediate future, but for the long term as well.”
The committees said “all Conseillers involved” have highlighted the importance of ensuring that the revised timetable continues to meet Sark’s essential medical, education, and tourism needs where possible’s and that these priorities were at the forefront of discussions to make sure that, even with reduced sailings, the schedule remains workable for Sark’s community and visitors alike.
They also said that Sark Shipping has committed to taking on board all feedback from residents and to be flexible, where possible, with additional crossings or further changes to the schedule.
“The reduction in crossings, while understandably unpopular, is a measure intended to help safeguard the financial sustainability of the service and company, as each sailing requires a fixed number of passengers per crossing to be financially viable,” explained the committees in their joint statement.
“The planned three-day mid-week break in return sailings will also provide essential time for critical maintenance to be carried out on the Venture, helping to maintain safety and reliability throughout the season.
“We fully appreciate that these proposed changes are vastly different than previous winter timetables however, these are responsible and considered decisions made with Sark’s long-term interests at heart – to protect the continuity of our lifeline service and ensure it remains dependable for generations to come.”