Campaigners call for clearer facts on Cromarty crude oil plans
Cromarty's port authority accused of misleading locals on oil
Campaigners are accusing Cromarty's port authority of being loose with the truth about its plans for ship-to-ship crude oil transfers.
It told MFR News that it's safely carried out 250-transfers over the last 30-years, but Cromarty Rising says these were done under safer conditions, within the port area.
Jacquie Ross from the pressure group says locals were fine with transfers being carried out at Nigg Oil Terminal's jetty, which is connected to the shore, but are against port bosses' application to do it between tankers floating in the Moray Firth.
She told MFR News: "They still have a licence for ship-to-ship transfers at the jetty.
"They're applying for the brand new licence because it's a completely different process."
More than 500-protestors crowded Nairn's Central Beach on Sunday afternoon, as a show of force against the controversial proposals.
Steve Truluck, who supports the campaign, explained: "Nigg jetty allows the ships to moor up to it in the sheltered confines of the Cromarty Firth.
"The ships are out of the strong tidal flow, fixed to a jetty which is attached to the land.
"There's also a facility to sterilise the ballast water.
"But Cromarty Firth Port Authority are applying for a licence because the new process is entirely different.
"The anchorage sites are in the Moray Firth. They are fully exposed to the stronger tidal flow and weather. The ships are just anchored. There's no connection to land. There's no facility to sterilise the ballast water."
LISTEN: Jacquie Ross from Cromarty Rising says there's a lot of confusion about what's being proposed. Hear her in the 7am MFR News bulletin read by John Callan...