A Highland community has reacted with fury to plans to transfer millions of tonnes of crude oil a year between tankers in waters which are a habitat dolphins and protected birds.
Cromarty Firth Port Authority has applied to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to carry out the transfers while vessels are anchored at the mouth of the firth.
The maximum quantity proposed to be moved in a single operation is 180,000 tonnes, at a rate of about four transfers a month, and up to a total of 8.64 million tonnes per annum.
The body already has a licence for ship-to-ship transfers for vessels lying alongside the nearby Nigg Oil Terminal, and now wants to be able to extend the operations.
The proposal – which is currently out to consultation – has provoked anger in Cromarty amid fears it risks an oil spill.
Cromarty Community Council chairwoman, Jacquie Ross, said: “We are concerned first of all that we weren’t notified at all – we only know about it because someone came across the document by chance and handed it to the community council.
“The timing of the consultation is really difficult because it’s over the Christmas period.
“We’re trying to get a meeting with the Cromarty Firth Port Authority to discuss our concerns.
“We’re concerned about the environment, we’re concerned about pollution. Obviously the possibility of an oil spill.
“Although the document says the risk is minimal, any risk is too high. We’re absolutely going to put in representations. We will be putting in our concerns.”
Greg Fullarton, an environmental consultant who lives in Cromarty, is also concerned.
He said: “The main protected area is the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation, designated for the bottlenose dolphin population.
“We have the Rosemarkie to Shandwick Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Cromarty Firth Special Protection Area, the Cromarty Firth SSSI, and the Cromarty Firth Ramsar site all within a few miles.
“They have been designated by government here and in Europe precisely because they need protection.”
Bob Buskie, port authority chief executive, said: “This type of ‘ship to ship’ operation has been carried out in the port for many years without incident.
“The Port of Cromarty Firth takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and would be happy to discuss any concerns with interested parties.”
An MCA spokeswoman said: “The ship-to-ship transfer application from the Cromarty Firth Port Authority is currently out for consultation and is not due to close until the end of January 2016.
“The assessment of the application will be undertaken once comments from the consultees have been received.”