The danger to the special eco-system in the Firth of Forth from environmental pollution has once again come into the public spotlight, with a mysterious oil spill that no one can yet find the cause of.
The League has written on several occasions to the current and previous Scottish Executives in recent months expressing its concern about plans to conduct ship to ship oil transfers in the Forth and the environmental and social risk of oil spillages involved by such a plan. The current crisis, in which the Forth Ports response unit failed to immediately implement the oil spill contingency plan, showed how unprepared the Forth authorities are to adequately deal with environmental upset.
As highlighted previously by the League, the environmental risks posed by the proposed ship to ship oil transfers in the Forth far outweigh the economic advantages. It is still unclear the extent of the damage the oil spill has caused to the wildlife food chain in and around the Forth, but it has been speculated by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) that the consequences of the spill could be catastrophic.
(This article for Celtic News compiled by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
18/07/07
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