The Scottish Government is on a collision course with Westminster over the well-being of a pod of dolphins off the coast of Scotland.

Scottish environment secretary Richard Lochhead said no decision should be made on gas and oil exploration in the inner Moray Firth before further investigations have been done to establish the possible danger to the dolphins, following a recommendation by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

The bottlenose dolphins swim in the special area of conservation which was set up for their protection and is now under the spotlight as part of a study by Westminster.

Mr Lochhead has now written to Westminster's Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), John Hutton, outlining concerns. The letter comes as the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) submitted an 18,000 petition and statement from 25 scientific experts over the impact of development on the dolphin sanctuary in the Firth.

Mr Lochhead said: "I appreciate that oil and gas exploration and exploitation is critically important to the Scottish and UK economies, but this needs to be balanced with our environmental responsibilities.

"We must be satisfied that there will be no adverse effect on the integrity of the special area of conservation in the Moray Firth and its local bottlenose dolphin population.

"This is a protected area for these dolphins and a spot that is popular for environmental tourism. I strongly support the recommendations for further work made by Scottish Natural Heritage and would urge the UK Government to address them before making a final decision on oil and gas activities in the inner Moray Firth."

SNH said the area is internationally recognised as important for the conservation of species, including dolphins, seals, seabirds, wildfowl and waders. The organisation has advised that, given the importance of the area, there is a requirement to demonstrate any proposed developments will not damage internation-ally important wildlife areas.

WDCS Moray Firth campaign manager, Sarah Dolman, said experts from around the world agree it would be inappropriate for exploration to go ahead.

She said: "Under European legislation the UK Government has to demonstrate that oil and gas development in important bottlenose dolphin habitat will not have an impact on their future. This cannot be done and we are hopeful the government, in its review of the responses now before it, will recognise the degree of concern this matter has raised and also that there are strong grounds not to go ahead."

Emily Lewis-Brown, marine climate change officer at WWF-UK, said: "Bottlenose dolphins are a national treasure, adored by many and vital to our oceans, but their ability to feed and communicate could now be seriously disturbed by sounds from oil and gas activities."

A spokesman for BERR said yesterday: "BERR welcomes the SNH's view that it is not opposed in principle to the concept of oil and gas exploration at block 17/3 in the Firth. We are happy to source and use the additional evidence recommended by SNH to further improve our Draft Appropriate Assessment."