Norwegian sea areas are among the most nutrient-rich in the world. This provides a basis for large fish stocks and good living conditions for seabirds and marine mammals. There are 15-20 million seabirds here. This corresponds to as much as 25 percent of the seabirds in Europe. Norway therefore has a great responsibility for the future of seabirds in Europe. During the breeding season, the seabirds must return to the breeding site regularly to feed the young. During this period, the seabirds have a limited range, which makes them extra vulnerable and vulnerable. During the winter months, however, they live a nomadic life, and can in a short time move over large areas to find food. They often find food in areas where, due to oceanographic conditions, bottom topography and current conditions, there is a lot of plankton and fish in the surface. Such “hotspots” of food are crucial for the survival of seabirds. This is also where the government wants to expand offshore wind. The government recently launched plans for a large-scale investment in offshore wind to increase climate-friendly energy production. But a large-scale investment in offshore wind must take place within nature’s limits. Otherwise, in the worst case, we may risk endangered species of seabirds. The goal of the government’s investment is to allocate areas equivalent to 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2040. This means the installation of 1,500 offshore wind turbines in Norwegian waters. The development of offshore wind shall take place “gradually and in a gentle manner – in interaction with Norwegian business and environmental interests”. In order to achieve the UN’s sustainability goals, we must ensure that climate action takes place within nature’s tolerable limits. However, it does not seem how the consideration for the environment should be taken into account in the government’s plans. The consequences for vulnerable seabird populations can be very great. Here, more knowledge is needed about the effects of these interventions before embarking on new announcements and developments of offshore wind. More than 60 per cent of the Norwegian seabird species are listed on the red list due to a sharp decline in nesting populations. In the last 50 years alone, 80 per cent of seabirds have disappeared from Norwegian bird cliffs. The situation for seabirds is already critical. Much like canaries warn of dangerous conditions in the mines, seabirds are good indicators of the environmental condition of the sea areas. Such a sharp decline in stocks indicates that the marine environment is already in disarray. If it gets worse now, we risk that seabird species will become extinct from Norway. Already in 2025, the government will announce new areas. This is in addition to the two already announced; Southern North Sea II and Utsira North. The government also promises that the licensing process will take place faster, with an overall processing of the license and detailed plan. More efficient, but also more risky. Between each award round, the effects on nature and the environment must be evaluated. The knowledge base for making such evaluations must be strengthened in order for these ambitions to be realized. The government has prepared a proposal for a process from the time an area is opened until development. It is a requirement that impact assessments be carried out. At the same time, the signals from the government are that the pace of the allocation process should be increased. Then we risk that consideration for the environment becomes the loser. We can hardly see how the government’s ambition for a gradual and gentle development, and the desire for a large-scale upscaling of 25 years, will be possible with today’s research efforts. It takes time both to build good knowledge about the environmental effects of offshore wind, and to use it in management and decision-making processes. The fact that the government is planning to award licenses for the Southern North Sea II and Utsira North as early as 2025, means that we are already late in developing a good knowledge base about the consequences for nature and the environment. A minimum of four to five years of monitoring and data collection is required before any development, and the same number of subsequent years, before we have certain knowledge of the consequences. This means that the government’s goal of learning along the way is difficult to achieve. If offshore wind is built up in the feeding trough of the birds, it can have very serious consequences for Norwegian seabird populations, and thus reinforce the negative trend that is already being observed. To avoid this, we must find the sea areas that are least vulnerable in relation to seabirds. The tools to find these sites already exist. With the help of new technology that tracks Norwegian seabirds throughout the year, we are beginning to get a good picture of which areas are important to take care of. This knowledge must be put to use and further developed. The Norwegian Institute for Natural Research, NINA, has also developed a tool, ConSite, which contributes to all relevant interest groups, from business to environmental interests, participating in finding the least vulnerable and vulnerable areas. When new areas are to be opened up for development, good and up-to-date knowledge of nature and the environment must form the basis for the choice. This means applying the existing knowledge, and providing new knowledge if the basis is deficient. It is crucial that we take sufficient account of possible negative consequences for nature and the environment before establishing offshore wind farms on the Norwegian shelf. If energy production is to be truly green, it cannot be at the expense of nature and the environment.
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Sea winds can threaten seabirds – Expression
