The campaign, whose name means 'Oil-Free Peniche' is the latest in a series that have emerged in Portugal in recent months, most notably in the Algarve.

In a manifesto that was drafted at a brainstorming session on Tuesday, the movement "refuses the exploration of oil in Peniche and in the rest of the country", because "it does not accept mortgaging the future of the coming generations in favour of the immediate profits of millionaire companies."

According to the document, the bay of Peniche and the Berlengas archipelago - a protected area - "are places of conservation of biodiversity and support for a range of socio-economic activities" such as fishing, surfing, bird watching and boat trips.

"With the prospect of oil exploration, all this wealth is at risk," the manifesto states.

Campaigners cite the many cases of failed safety systems in oil extraction equipment around the world that have caused environmental disaster, such as the 2010 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and the bursting of a pipeline in Michigan.

A public meeting has been announced for next Tuesday at Baleal beach in Peniche.