Say no to Berwick Bank offshore windfarm

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Dear Cabinet Secretary,I’m writing to ask that you refuse consent to Berwick Bank and back nature positive offshore wind power instead.We are fortunate in Scotland to share our seas and coasts with puffins, gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes, and many other seabirds. Indeed, many of the populations are of international importance. Yet most are in decline, the threats they face are growing, avian flu has had a significant and lasting impact, and they now face the growing threat of insensitive offshore wind development.Offshore wind could make a major contribution to tackling climate change and to building a thriving, green economy in Scotland. But this will only happen if it is developed in harmony with nature. That means avoiding development in the most important sites for nature and investing in seabird conservation. In recent years many such proposals have come forward. In particular, floating wind turbine technology has unlocked the possibility of building on deeper sites that minimise conflicts.In contrast, the proposed Berwick Bank wind farm is located close to Special Protection Areas for seabirds which are home to diverse and important seabird populations, including the world’s largest Northern gannet colony on Bass Rock. It is also sited close to critical foraging ground for seabirds. The developer’s own modelling suggests it will kill tens of thousands of birds including kittiwakes, gannets, guillemot and puffins, and displace many others.Berwick Bank is a special and sensitive site for nature. It is simply the wrong place for an offshore wind farm. Consenting it would not only be disastrous for nature, but it would also be a major setback for Scotland’s renewable energy industry. By having such a severe impact on seabirds it would undermine the potential for less damaging proposals elsewhere to progress.We are privileged to share our seas and coasts with gannets, puffins, kittiwakes and other seabirds, but with that privilege comes a responsibility to safeguard their populations for now and for future generations. Consenting Berwick Bank would betray that responsibility. I welcome the commitments your Government has made to reversing biodiversity declines and restoring nature [1] and to managing our seas with seabirds in mind and ensuring Scotland’s seabird colonies are thriving [2]. I hope that you will now deliver on your promises, refuse Berwick Bank, and get behind nature positive offshore wind instead.[1] <a href="https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-biodiversity-strategy-2045/">Scotland Biodiversity Strategy to 2045</a>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/consultation-paper/2024/12/scottish-seabird-conservation-action-plan/documents/scottish-seabird-conservation-action-plan/scottish-seabird-conservation-action-plan/govscot%3Adocument/scottish-seabird-conservation-action-plan.pdf">Scotland Seabird Conservation Action Plan</a>

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