Plea to dam wind farm as 1000’s of fowl deaths forecast

Conservation teams are urging ministers to reject plans for an offshore wind farm which the developer predicts will kill tens of 1000’s of seabirds.

Five charities, led via RSPB Scotland, have written to the primary minister to argue that approving Berwick Bank within the Firth of Forth would undermine efforts to offer protection to nature.

SSE says it has already amended its designs to minimise any possible dangers to Scottish seabirds.

The Scottish executive, which is thinking about whether or not to approve the undertaking, says it can’t touch upon reside programs.

The proposed building – which might be one of the most greatest on the planet – is composed of as much as 307 generators throughout a space 4 instances the dimensions of Edinburgh.

It is located about 23 miles from the essential seabird colonies of the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve and the Bass Rock.

Experts say the realm is a very powerful feeding and foraging flooring for seabirds.

SSE’s personal environmental affect overview says it expects greater than 31,000 fowl collisions over the projected 35-year lifespan of the improvement.

The greatest quantity anticipated to be killed are kittiwakes adopted via gannets and herring gulls.

The letter to First Minister John Swinney calling for the applying to be rejected has been signed via RSPB Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, the Marine Conservation Society and the Scottish Seabird Centre.

They say the prospective affects of Berwick Bank are changing into so serious that they “overshadow and are undermining” the growth of alternative, decrease affect windfarm programs.

RSPB Scotland director Anne McCall says the realm is among the easiest puts on earth for seabirds, that have been in vital decline.

“I’ve never seen a development with so much potential damage,” she added:

The conservation teams argue that generation has complex considerably since Berwick Bank used to be conceived and that floating wind farms, additional offshore, can be a greater choice.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) says populations at the steep cliffs at its St Abbs reserve can be at once suffering from the fowl moves at the Berwick Bank generators.

Its “seabird cities” are house to guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills.

Diarmid Hearns from the NTS says Berwick Bank may just save you additional tendencies from going forward.

This is as a result of account would need to be taken of the cumulative affect of windfarm growth when different programs are thought to be.

He stated refusal can be “good for the industry and good for the environment” as a result of it would free up long run tendencies additional out to sea.

SSE Renewables submitted a making plans utility to the Scottish executive in past due 2022 and continues to be looking forward to a call.

It says it has carried out one of the most greatest identified ornithology surveys on the planet as a part of the applying procedure and that it disagrees strongly with the issues put ahead within the letter.

The corporate insists that seabird densities are “not exceptional” within the house and that the affect on seabirds can be some of the lowest of any wind farm web page. Both the ones claims are disputed via RSPB Scotland.

Project director Alex Meredith stated: “Berwick Bank has now been in planning for almost 30 months.

“Whilst we can at all times proceed to paintings constructively with stakeholders, we will have to transfer ahead urgently with motion and supply for the local weather and our iconic Scottish seabirds.”

The wind farm would generate 4.1 gigawatts of electricity which is enough to power about six million homes.

The electricity would be brought to shore at Dunbar in East Lothian and Blyth in Northumberland.

The Scottish executive stated it will now not be suitable to touch upon a reside consenting utility.