The case for retention of the Fife Ness coastguard station is “overwhelming,” according to Sir Menzies Campbell.
The north-east Fife parliamentarian believes lives could be lost if the unit is scrapped.
The UK coalition government wants to cut the number of coastguard stations in the UK from 18 to eight, leaving only one full-time base north of the border at Aberdeen.
A second base, at either Stornoway or Shetland, will only be manned during daylight hours.
More than 200 jobs, including 20 at Fife Ness, will be lost if the planned closures go ahead.
Sir Menzies outlined his strong opposition to the proposal in a letter to UK transport secretary Philip Hammond.
Fife Ness covers the eastern coastline of Scotland, from the border up toward Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, and provides search and rescue assistance 24 hours a day, seven day a weeks.
Sir Menzies has highlighted the role staff at Fife Ness play in covering the critical Firth of Forth, a waterway which is likely to become busier still once planned offshore renewable energy installations are built off the Fife coast.
“The Firth of Forth is at present an extremely busy waterway,” he wrote. “The volume of traffic is likely to increase as the offshore renewable energy industry which is fully supported by the Holyrood and Westminster Governments expands.
“The Forth is also home to a great deal of leisure activity as the popularity of sailing increases. This is particularly relevant to the harbour at Anstruther in the East Neuk of Fife in my constituency where there has been considerable success in attracting recreational sailing.
“Meanwhile, Pittenweem harbour, which lies close to Anstruther along the same coast, is the centre of the village-based fishing industry in Fife.”
Sir Menzies went on, “Other factors which require to be recognised are the well-established relationship between the station and the lifeboat crew at Anstruther, the number of occasions when members of the public get into difficulties when walking on or near the coastline of Fife and require coastguard assistance, and the possibility in spite of overwhelming public opposition that the Forth may be used for ship-to-ship oil transfer.
“In short the coastguard station is in the right location, meets a vital need and has established necessary and fruitful relationships with other agencies and services.
“The case for its retention is overwhelming,” the MP added.