WATCH: Tambourine-playing dolphin turns up to Nairn protest
500 protestors crowd beach to fight Cromarty crude oil plans
More than 500-protestors crowded Nairn's Central Beach yesterday afternoon, to fight Cromarty's port authority's plans to transfer crude oil between ships.
The authority (CFPA) claims that over the last 30-years 250-ship-to-ship oil transfers have taken place - according to port bosses "without incident" - but campaigners say they were carried out at Nigg Oil Terminal's jetty within the Cromarty Firth.
Steve Truluck 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 CFPA 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...
The application has sparked fury and fear throughout coastal communities along the Moray Firth, which is rich in marine wildlife, and fuels the vibrant Highland tourism economy.
An internet petition is approaching 20,000 signatures in opposition to the plans, and people as far away as Lossiemouth and Buckie are supporting the leading pressure group Cromarty Rising.
It's currently crowdfunding online to afford legal advice, which could lead to paying for a judicial review - a last ditch legal battle.
Efforts to fundraise a target of £30,000 are approaching the half-way mark after donations flooded in from almost 300-people.
Five-times the number of people expected to turn up to yesterday's demonstration at Nairn lined the shore - with more than 500-people creating a distance similar to the length of a tanker.
Bob Buskie, Chief Executive of the Port of Cromarty Firth said: "We have already addressed environmental concerns about the risk of ballast water to the Firth.
"If the licence is granted, we will insist that all ships comply with the new convention and implement a ballast water management plan, where all water is treated before it is discharged.
"The refined application will be passed to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for reassessment.
"We estimate this will take place sometime in January 2017.
"It will also be passed for comment to the same statutory consultees as in the initial application; Marine Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, The Highland Council and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
"The MCA will then call a meeting between these statutory consultees, the Port and our consultants to discuss the consultees’ comments on the refined application, before making a decision."
BELOW: A community council poll suggests how people across the MFR area are feeling about the issue | Source: Cromarty Rising
We'll find out next year whether the port authority's application is rejected or approved.
What MFR News already knows though - is that the real winner of Sunday's demonstration was anyone who got to see this tambourine-playing, shoe-wearing dolphin...