A NEW protest group has been formed to fight plans to carry out ship to ship transfers of crude oil in the open waters of the Inner Moray Firth.

And Nairnshirerising is holding a public meeting tonight at the Nairn Bandstand to discuss how to respond to what it describes as “the silent contempt” of the Scottish Government in their lack of support for local objectors to the plans by bosses at the Port of Cromarty Firth (PCF).

Four weeks after members wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform following a Holyrood debate on the subject, the group said they had received neither an acknowledgment nor a response.

The letter invited Roseanna Cunningham to publicly declare a presumption against granting a European Protected Species licence should the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issue a licence for the transfers in any subsequent application by PCF.

Nairnshirerising says the Scottish Government’s SNP administration and their constituency and list MSPs, who were copied into their letter, have offered nothing more than platitudes, when they say Holyrood clearly has appropriate powers to make the declaration.

The group says it is anxious that with this level of indifference, the failure of Marine Scotland last time around to protect the interests of the marine environment gives every indication that history will repeat itself should there be a second application by the PCF.

Iain Bruce, a spokesman for the group, said: “What exactly is this treasure trove that [PCF chief executive] Captain [Bob] Buskie and his board of buccaneers of the good ship PCF are so desperate to get their hands on that the Scottish Government and their MSPs will connive together, in the face of overwhelming public outrage at the threat to our pristine natural environment?”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As we explained to Mr Bruce when we responded to his letter on 8 June, as the decision making powers on this issue still remain reserved to Westminster; therefore, it is for the UK Government to determine whether ship to ship oil transfer activity complies with the EU Habitats Directive. For any ship to ship oil transfer application in Scottish waters, the UK Government must take account of the policies outlined in the National Marine Plan for the protection of the environment.

“We firmly believe, and have made it abundantly clear throughout, that these powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, precisely because this is clearly a matter of providing appropriate environmental protection to Scotland's marine environment. Until such time as the powers are devolved, we expect the UK Government to both: ensure the concerns of local interests in relation to the Inner Moray Firth are fully considered; and to formally invite the Scottish Government to respond to any future ship to ship oil transfer applications.  Moreover they should take heed of our views, given the potentially significant impact there could be on Scotland's natural environment.”