Seabirds ‘face extinction’ if tidal scheme gets go ahead
RSPB’S WARNING OVER £35M PROJECT OFF ANGLESEY COAST
APLANNED tidal energy scheme off west Anglesey could devastate seabird colonies and put a huge dent in the island’s tourism economy, according to RSPB Cymru.
Impact assessments carried out for enterprise agency Menter Mon, which is developing the £35m Morlais tidal scheme off Holy Island/ Ynys Gybi, predicted repercussions for birds at the South Stack nature reserve.
It concluded the 240MW scheme could cause the “extinction” of razorbills on South Stack’s sea cliffs and cause the loss of 60% of its breeding guillemots.
Minor declines may also be seen in other birds such as puffins and red-throated divers.
The figures have alarmed RSPB Cymru as its reserve is a key tourism draw for Anglesey, attracting 250,000 visitors each year.
The bird charity is now calling for a smaller pilot project to be rolled out instead.
Its director, Katie-jo Luxton (right), said: “If this project is serious about being a test bed for new marine energy generation technologies in an environmentally sensitive way, it must proceed in a step-wise manner, learning from each stage.
“However, our faith in this approach is jeopardised by Menter Mon seeking blanket, large scale consents.
“A smaller scale permission would reduce the risks of environmental damage. It would also maximise our learning about new technologies in this highly environmentally sensitive location.”
It is thought that airborne noise and visual disturbance caused by vessels laying cables will have little impact on South Stack’s bird colonies.
However consultants working on the project believe some diving birds may theoretically be in danger of colliding with underwater turbines, with razorbills and guillemots at particular risk.
RSPB Cymru’s own experts fear other species will be at risk too, including Manx shearwaters off Bardsey and the Llyn Peninsula.
Some shearwaters could be vulnerable as far afield as Pembrokeshire, said the charity, which also has concerns for other wildlife on Holy Island, including chough. RSPB Cymru supports green energy schemes but said “poorly located” or “illdesigned projects” pose dangers to wildlife and the environment.
It claimed “political and economic pressures” were pushing the Morlais scheme to take “unmanageable risks”.
Fears have also been raised over the impact of planned 60-metre barges as part of the tidal project.
Modelling work on a small 40MW initial project suggests razorbills and guillemots would still be at risk.
However a phased deployment, combined with a long-term monitoring programme, could cut collisions involving diving birds.
Katie-jo Luxton said no further expansion of the pilot scheme should be permitted without extensive research into the consequences. “Currently, we are being asked to trust that the serious environmental risks to our seabirds and marine mammals will be managed through Adaptive Management Plans,” she said.
“However, there is just too much uncertainty in this project to go down this route.
“We can’t see how adverse impacts will be identified, let alone alleviated or avoided.”
Consultants engaged by Menter Mon stressed that doing nothing also carries significant dangers for Anglesey’s seabirds.
Fulmars, terns, guillemots, razorbills and puffins are all highly vulnerable to climate change, with numbers likely to fall over the coming decades as fish stock decline.
Mitigation measures can also be employed to reduce bird mortality on the proposed tidal arrays, said the Menter Mon report.
Morlais director Gerallt Llewelyn Jones said RSPB Cymru’s calls for a phased approach to deployment, coupled with extensive wildlife monitoring, mirrors its own approach.
As such he is confident there will be no negative effects on birds.
Mr Jones said: “Because we are local, we understand the need to listen to the views of people who live and work here,” he said.
“RSPB will understand this only too well with its unpopular decision to charge for parking at the (South Stack) site.”
Over time the Morlais project has the potential to scale up to generate enough electricity for an estimated 180,000 households.