Denmark: Fish and Wind Turbines Can Mix

The first survey of how offshore wind farms affect the fish life is complete. It shows that wind turbines and fish co-exist in perfect harmony. The stock of some fish species has actually increased.

While the preparations for erecting the first wind turbines at Anholt Offshore Wind Farm are well under way, a new report from Horns Rev 1 shows that offshore wind farms and fish can co-exist in perfect harmony.

Already in 2002, DONG Energy established the offshore wind farm Horns Rev 1 where 80 wind turbines are placed 14-20km from the shore in the North Sea off the westernmost point of Denmark, Blåvands Huk.

The wind farm is located in relatively shallow waters with a water depth between 14 and19 metres, and as such in an area that typically contains apt conditions for a good fish life. In comparison, the water depth at Anholt Offshore Wind Farm is 15 to 19 metres.

Already before the wind farm was constructed in 2002, scientists from the Aquatic Department of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua), went to sea to map the fish life in the area. The biologists have compared those results with the situation in the area seven years later.

The survey shows that the offshore wind farm Horns Rev 1 has not had any negative effects on the fish life. The survey points to that the boulder structures also function as artificial reefs, which provides good breeding conditions with a wide selection of food and shelter from currents. The boulder structures attract fish species that usually prefer rocky soils, and as such the wind turbines have provided habitats for a range of new species.

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Offshore WIND staff, April 05, 2012; Image: dongenergy