- We have a strained staff situation and we have not been able to grow at the same time as our tasks have been expanded.
Our presence at sea is negatively affected because we have too few staff, says Cecilia Hennig, station manager for the Coast Guard in Umeå.
The Coast Guard's trade union, Tull-Kust, believes that 8 of the 20 coast stations are threatened in the long run if the authority does not receive increased funding from the government.
And with the current staffing, the Coast Guard means that they can not be at hand at sea as often as they should.
Increased demands
- Sometimes we have to drive with a smaller crew than we should.
It limits us, for example, then can not launch a smaller boat from our large ship in transit.
At the same time, the demands increase for the Coast Guard to be present and visible, says Cecilia Hennig.
- We are also working on environmental issues nowadays, the ship here in the port is a so-called environmental protection vessel that can limit and combat oil spills.
"We need to be more"
Cecilia Henning is concerned about the future development of the Coast Guard.
- We would do a better job if we were more.
What has caused the situation you are in?
- We have not received the grants we have requested and the money is needed for us to be able to increase the crew on board.
We simply need to be more coastguards.