UK: Burbo Bank Expansion Could Affect Salmon

Bangor-On-Dee Anglers Association has raised concern over Burbo Bank expansion plans, as they could affect salmon migration, writes the Liverpool Daily Post.

Dong Energy intends to expand its Burbo Bank wind farm, located in Liverpool Bay at the entrance to the River Mersey, which currently has 30 turbines, with additional 69 turbines.

Secretary of Bangor-On-Dee Anglers Association, George Wallace, said: “It might affect the salmons’ navigation systems. We’re not too sure how they navigate, but they do it somehow – like a pigeon uses a magnetic field to navigate – and the farm could hinder this.“

The noise from wind turbine installation and cable laying could affect migrating salmon.

Ferdinando Giammichele, Dong Energy’s project development manager responded by saying: “We’ve been working very closely and proactively with the MMO, Environment Agency (EA) and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science both before and after the submission of the Environment Statement (ES). We are also working together on potential solutions to minimise the impacts on the Atlantic salmon, which the examining authority will discuss during the examination.”

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, July 26, 2013