Posts Tagged ‘Marine renewables’
North Sea piling development worrying for porpoises
The UK government has given consent for the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Hornsea 2, to be built off the Yorkshire coast. This decision could lead to significant negative impacts to the harbour porpoise, the smallest porpoise found in our waters. We raised our concerns during public consultations. Harbour porpoises are ‘strictly’ protected under the…
Read MoreScottish windfarms decision bad for marine mammals
WDC are supportive of efforts to reduce climate impacts and move away from the use of fossil fuels. However, the decision by Scottish Ministers today to consent these four offshore wind farms off the Forth and Tay on the east coast of Scotland will drive another nail in the coffin of the local harbour seal…
Read MoreGood news for Welsh Whales and Dolphins
Here at WDC we welcome the recent news that a large wind farm that was proposed in the Irish Sea, has been withdrawn. The Rhiannon offshore wind farm was to be situated 12 miles off the coast of Anglesey, consisting of over 400 turbines and covering an unprecedented 497 km2 – an area where there have…
Read MoreGlobal interest in report on impacts of marine renewable energy on whales and dolphins
While generating increasing amounts of energy from marine renewable sources such as wind, wave or tides could help reduce our overreliance on fossil fuels, marine renewable energy developments (MREDs) that are designed, placed, built, operated and decommissioned without a thought for their potential impact on local whale and dolphin populations could prove disastrous. To highlight…
Read MoreWhat do whales, dolphins and porpoises have in common with badgers?
For those of you not familiar with the humble badger – do you remember the Harry Potter books and the school house of Hufflepuff? Well … the badger is the emblem of the Hufflepuff house in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There are eight different species of badger found in a variety of places…
Read MoreMassive wind farms approved in Moray Firth waters
On Wednesday, 19th March, the Scottish government announced that two huge wind farms will be built in the Moray Firth in Scotland. WDC are supportive of a move away from fossil fuels (although this decision does not mean that is a certainty) and wind currently seems a realistic alternative. But we are anxious about the…
Read More20th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Part 1
Wind, Whales, and Dolphins – the conservation impacts of marine renewables The 20th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals is taking place this week in Dunedin, New Zealand. This is the largest international conference focused on marine mammals and WDC is there to present our conservation work to the world. “Many difficult and…
Read MoreConsent granted for 86 tidal turbines off north Scotland
A decision was made this week by the Scottish Ministers to allow a major and novel tidal array off the north coast of the Scottish mainland. WDC are supportive of responsible marine renewable energy and recognising the very serious implications of climate change for whales, dolphins and porpoises, we hope that it can become part…
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