Today
the Planning Inspectorate released comments made by local organisations
affected by the Swansea
Tidal Lagoon, organisations
such as Fish Legal, Whale and Dolphin Conservation and Natural Resource
Wales all had concerns towards the construction of the lagoon. Severn
River Trust raised its issues over the tidal lagoon saying that the construction
of not just only the
Swansea Lagoon but the
Cardiff
Lagoon and Western
Somerset Lagoon would
disturb the migration of certain fish.
Fish Legal is a membership organisation that uses the law to protect its
members’ fishery interests. In England, we act for the Angling Trust;
as well as other members; in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we take
action for anglers of all disciplines.
Fish Legal's consultation stated: "We believe that more contentious
issues, such as impact ‘trigger levels’ requiring mitigation/compensation,
need to be agreed and secured in advance, to prevent difficult arguments
later on, which it seems draft Requirement 40 would achieve"
Fish legal are worried that fish such
as Salmon, Sea trout and eels are at risk of being affected by the construction
of the lagoon, stating that there is "no adequate explanation"
for the migration of these fishes through the bay.
WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (formerly WDCS) is the leading global
charity dedicated to the conservation and protection of whales and dolphins.
WDC also deal with Porpoises, Porpoises are often found in the lagoons
location.
Along side this, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) said: "In
our original submission WDC expressed concern at the level of surveys for
porpoise carried out and at the lack of specific mitigation measures proposed.
We note that these concerns were echoed by NRW in their evidence at the
issue specific hearings on the 21st and 22nd October. WDC
has not seen any evidence that these issues have been resolved and consider
that a European Protected Species licence cannot be issued in respect of
harbour porpoise until they are."
WDC are concerned that the noise from the installation
will disrupt or even kill the porpoises due to operational noise, WDC have
proposed protective screens to prevent this from happening. Bubble curtains
can also be used to protect whales and porpoises from noise pollution.
Natural Rescources Wales ensure that the environment and natural resources
of Wales are sustainably maintained, sustainably enhanced and sustainably
used, now and in the future.
Natural resources have quoted: "NRW has given no specific consent
to the exclusion of any permit requirement of the EPR (2010). Consideration
was given as to whether the project would require a permit (or exclusion
thereof) for the impoundment of water. After due consideration NRW confirmed
that it did not consider such a permit was required and as such no consent
for exclusion was deemed"
The Severn Rivers Trust is an independent
environmental charity established to secure the preservation, protection,
development and improvement of the rivers, streams, watercourses and water
bodies in the Severn catchment, and to advance the education of the public
in the management of water and the wider environment.
Finally, Severn Rivers trust have boldly stated: "Given the uncertainties
about tidal lagoons, including associated risk of severe environmental
damage, they should not be constructed in the Severn Estuary until there
is practical experience of building and operating a scheme in a less sensitive
area not adjacent to rivers with migratory fish."
"they should not
be constructed in the Severn Estuary"
This quote taken from the Severn Rivers
consultation concerns the other two lagoons which have been proposed for
the area. Due to migrant fish within the area, they are against the construction
of Cardiff
Bay Tidal Lagoon, Swansea
Bay Tidal Lagoon and
The
Western Somerset Lagoon,
this amounts to a total of 4920MW.
In a drastic case in which these terms
are more serious the project could be put on hold and maybe even stopped.
The
Swansea tidal lagoon hydropower plant
will be located in the Severn Estuary and will have an installed capacity
of 16 units with over 20 megawatts each. The Severn Estuary has the second
highest tidal range in the world, and in this estuary, Swansea Bay benefits
from an average tidal range of 8.5 meters during spring tides. The plant
will supply clean, renewable, and predictable power for over 155,000 homes
and contribute significantly towards national carbon emission reduction
targets with over 236,000 tons of CO2 saved each year.
You
can visit the Swansea Tidal Lagoon on our tidal page HERE.