‘The EWT is not covering up the damage’

In response to André van der Spuy’s letter, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) acknowledges the urgency to address the cumulative impact of highrisk wind farms on collision-prone raptors, such as the Cape vulture.

With escalating energy demands in South Africa, and global trends towards cleaner energy, we recognise the need to work with renewable energy developers to enhance conservation in and around wind farms, and to develop effective measures to avoid and reduce [bird] fatalities on both operational and planned wind farms.

Since 2017, the EWT has been actively involved in various engagement processes both before and after wind farm construction to help guide raptorfriendly wind[-power] development, and openly opposes facilities that present a high risk to raptors and other large birds.

Furthermore, the EWT is an active member of the Birds and Renewable Energy Specialist Group, a panel comprising avian specialists, leading research institutes, government representatives, and conservation organisations. Here, we meet regularly to discuss the impact of renewable energy developments on birds, and we workshop strategies to reduce these, as well as develop approaches to ensure the conservation of birds in association with renewable energy infrastructure.

Several wind-energy facilities across South Africa are instructed, through their respective environmental authorisations, to provide the EWT and BirdLife South Africa with data on the mortality of birds and bats related to their facilities on a quarterly basis. These reports are made available to anyone who requests this information. BirdLife SA has published a report on these [bird] deaths, which can be downloaded from their website.

The EWT is not covering up environmental destruction by any power producers. Our data show that power lines in the Overberg region (where Excelsior is situated) cause more [bird] deaths through collision than anywhere else in the country. [South Africa’s] national bird, the blue crane, is most affected, and it is for this reason that the EWT accepted a donation of bird-flight diverters in order to reduce these mortalities and save more cranes. The EWT did not support the establishment of these power lines, and will do whatever it can to reduce their impact. The EWT is not funded by BTE Renewables, and is not beholden to the company nor any other independent power producer.

The EWT has invited all stakeholders, including [Van der Spuy], to openly engage with us on this topic. Ongoing data and stakeholder input is essential to improve the conservation and protection of the species that are most affected by energy infrastructure.

FW Archive The endangered Cape vulture tops BirdLife South Africa‘s list of bird species most likely to be vulnerable to the impacts of wind energy.