Four leading nature protection foundations have called for a ban on the installation of wind farms in wind farms in areas of high ecological value and in territories belonging to the Natura 2000 Network.
Among the organizations are the Bearded Vulture Conservation Foundation, the Global Nature Foundation, the Nature and Man Foundation and the Brown Bear Foundation, which base their petition on scientific studies that estimate the death of between 1,355,711 and 2,109,400 birds annually due to wind turbines.
Wind farm expansion puts birds at risk
The four organizations have issued a communiqué highlighting the problem of high bird mortality caused by wind farms, mentioning that only a small fraction of the total is detected. Between 2020 and 2022, nearly 9,000 birds were found dead due to collisions with wind turbines, according to data compiled by the autonomous communities. However, these data are incomplete and some regions with high wind capacity, such as Andalucía and Castilla y León, did not provide complete records.
The negative impact is growing due to the significant expansion of wind farms in Spain. wind farms in Spain, many of which many of which are located in areas of high natural value. There are even plans to install new parks in protected areas such as Maestrazgo in Teruel, which could dramatically increase bird mortality in the coming years.
Nature protection foundations call for a ban
The foundations call for the explicit prohibition of wind farms in areas of high environmental value, underlining the need to strictly comply with existing protection measures for Protected Natural Areas (ENP). The foundations urge the explicit prohibition of wind farms in areas of high environmental value, stressing the need to strictly comply with existing protection measures for Protected Natural Spaces (ENP). This includes both terrestrial and marine areas and those that are part of the Natura 2000 Network or are in the process of inclusion, as well as their areas of influence.
In addition, the organizations propose the incorporation of radars and other preventive measures in operating licenses to significantly reduce bird mortality. According to several studies supported by the scientific community, the number of birds killed annually due to wind turbines could be much higher than official figures indicate.
Measures for responsible development
Not only the territories of the Natura 2000 Network must be preserved from the installation of wind farms, but also those protected by international agreements, wetlands in the National Inventory of Wetlands, habitats in need of special protection, critical areas in Recovery Plans for endangered species and marine migratory corridor areas.
Although wind energy is essential for the transition to renewable sources, its current development has an unacceptable impact on biodiversity. The foundations stress that there are preventive technologies that could significantly mitigate this serious damage, calling for stricter and more responsible regulation.
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Source: energias-renovables
Photo: Shutterstock
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