Plans for one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms could have a “devastating” impact on seabirds, conservationists warn.
The proposed Berwick Bank development would see up to 307 turbines built in the outer Firth of Forth, about 40km off the Scottish coast and near key seabird colonies like Bass Rock, St Abb’s Head and the Isle of May.
The area is home to a rich variety of species, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gannets.
The island of Craigleith, just off North Berwick, has seen a dramatic resurgence in its puffin population after nearly two decades of conservation work.
More than a thousand volunteers have helped clear invasive tree mallow – a plant which once covered 80% of the land and blocked puffins from nesting in their burrows.
Today, an estimated 5,000 breeding pairs live on Craigleith up from around 1,000 in 2007.
But across the UK, seabird numbers are falling. The latest seabird census found around 70% of Scotland’s seabird species had dropped over a 20-year period, with as many as seven seabird species experiencing declines of over 50%.
Conservationists fear Berwick Bank could threaten puffins and other seabird populations off the east coast.
RSPB Scotland’s Aedán Smith warned that the proposed development could have a “really devastating” impact on seabirds.
“There’s kind of a scarecrow effect with turbines,” he said. “Birds see something unfamiliar in their environment and avoid that area.
“If it’s a place they depend on for feeding, and they can’t find food elsewhere, they might struggle to feed their chicks or starve themselves.
“A lot of seabirds are already living right on the margins of survival. If they have to fly even a little further, it might push them over the edge.” https://news.stv.tv/east-central/berwick-bank-offshore-wind-farm-poses-devastating-threat-to-seabirds-conservationists-warn?fbclid=IwY2xjawL2BEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlbNf0d_kwcv2O1nywUqxVnaA2o4aD80MutIFRQzErNg9cWLKiqs26qFuDGS_aem_eq5mmHuvuSEQEpfbmnGVqw
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