Conservationists say research is needed on impact of wave turbines
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor

Ministers' plans for a major expansion of renewable energy into the seas around Scotland could threaten wildlife, according to the government's nature conservation advisers.

In a report due out tomorrow, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will highlight the risk of seabirds, seals, whales and sharks being killed in collisions with wave or tidal turbines. The animals may have to be deliberately scared away by noise, SNH will suggest, or renewable energy plants may have to be temporarily shut down - or removed altogether.

There are some 34 protected marine areas around Scotland, several of which have been identified as potential sites for wave or tidal schemes.

Initial conflicts could arise in the Pentland Firth and off the coast of Orkney, where there are a wealth of protected species.

According to SNH, among those at risk are cetaceans such as whales and dolphins, basking sharks, common and grey seals and diving seabirds. The animals could get tangled up in turbines or be prevented from accessing vital feeding grounds.

A report by senior officials to a meeting of SNH's scientific advisory committee tomorrow will say that there is an urgent need for detailed research into the potential ecological impact of marine energy devices.

"Until there are research conclusions to the degree of certainty required, SNH is likely to be subject to considerable pressure to demonstrate the reasons for any objections it expresses to particular developments," the report says.

There is little hard evidence of the interaction between wildlife and marine renewables because very few devices have yet been deployed. SNH is anxious to investigate the issue before the industry takes off.

Dominic Counsell, the head of SNH's coastal and marine unit, accepted that wave and tidal power could have an important role to play in combating climate change. "Our role is to help ministers and developers balance this in a way that ensures any impacts of development on wildlife will be minimised," he said.

Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet secretary for the environment, said any advice from SNH on how to develop marine energy resources without damaging wildlife would be "most welcome".

On Tuesday, he is planning to publish a "marine spatial plan" for developing renewables in the Pentland Firth.

"The plan will help us reach balanced decisions on new developments, while respecting the environment and the other activities in the area," Lochhead told the Sunday Herald. "We have already carried out a strategic environmental assessment to examine the environmental effects of developing wave and tidal power."

SNH's attempt to understand "actual environmental impacts" was also approved by the renewables industry in Scotland.

"We welcome SNH's commitment to work closely with industry to ensure good developments are approved in the right places," said the chief executive of Scottish Renewables, Jason Ormiston.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) argued that poorly-sited marine developments could harm seabirds. "We need comprehensive survey work to identify safe areas where development could take place, and we need to create a network of protected offshore sites," said Aedán Smith from RSPB Scotland.

Dr Richard Dixon, the director of WWF Scotland, thought that the developers of marine renewable were very conscious of the potential problems. "We are learning by doing and it would be a tragedy if an overcautious approach stifled vital developments in this young industry," he said.

One of the world's largest wave power stations will be installed at Siadar on the Isle of Lewis after the plan was given the go-ahead by the First Minister, Alex Salmond, last week. The company, npower renewables, applied for permission to build a 4MW wave device.