Lyme Bay has been used extensively by tankers for transfers

The commercial ship-to-ship transfer of crude oil in the bay is a matter of ongoing concern for both authorities.

The type of crude oil transferred in Lyme Bay is similar to that of the tanker the Prestige which caused widespread environmental damage when it foundered off the coast of Spain last year.

Staff from both county councils, the Department of Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are meeting to discuss how best to protect the World Heritage Site.

This type of oil is very difficult to tackle once it gets into the marine environment Richard Hill, Devon County Council

Recently Lyme Bay has been used extensively by tankers travelling from the Baltic to the Far East, with each operation transferring up to two million barrels of oil over a two-week period.

Richard Hill from Devon County Council believes oil trade coming out of the Baltic is likely to double to 80 million tons every year.

"This is obviously going to have a knock on effect in areas like Lyme Bay where ship to ship transfers take place," said Mr Hill.