Surfers say the plans threaten wildlife and water sports

Green Party members and surfers gathered on beaches at North Berwick and Portobello to highlight the dangers of a possible oil spill.

They want the Scottish Executive to prevent SPT Marine from using the Forth as a staging post for moving supplies of crude oil around the world.

Those opposed to the move include wildlife groups and local councils.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and the Greens have demanded clean waters, free from sewage, toxic chemicals, marine litter and nuclear waste.

Hundreds of water sports enthusiasts in the Forth area, and the businesses they help sustain, depend on access to clean beaches Richard Hardy SAS spokesman

Green co-leader Robin Harper said: "These oil transfer proposals are a clear example of EU laws not being applied robustly, and companies such as Forth Ports exploiting these weaknesses to boost profits at the expense of communities, their local economy and the environment."

Richard Hardy, a spokesman for SAS, called for the executive to take control of the situation.

He said: "Hundreds of water sports enthusiasts in the Forth area, and the businesses they help sustain, depend on access to clean beaches - that should not be put at risk for the sake of private companies' profits."

The director of the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick has warned that any pollution incident would have a devastating impact on the seabird colonies in the Firth of Forth, and on the economies of the communities which border the estuary.

Safety precautions

Tom Brock said he hoped the demonstrations would send a clear signal to the authorities that the risks of ship-to-ship oil transfers were unacceptable.

SPT Marine Services was responsible for an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico when two tankers collided in 1995.

The company said after the oil spill it had carried out a review which resulted in changed procedures and stringent safety precautions.

The question of oil transfers had provoked local debate

The Sunderland-based firm wants to pump about 7.8 million tonnes of Russian crude oil a year between tankers anchored four miles off the coast.

It said the Forth proposals would involve double-hull vessels and the operations would be conducted at anchor.

Forth Ports, in whose harbour authority the transfers would take place, has already produced an oil spill contingency plan.

It is currently undertaking assessment work to see if the transfers would have an impact on protected wildlife in the area.

It then has to consider whether it requires to ask the Scottish Executive for a licence for the work or not.