The development of wind power can affect the reproduction of wolves and wolverines. This is the opinion of predator researchers, who found in a study that the places where the animals place their dens coincide with the areas that are most attractive for wind power. – The indications are clear, says Petter Wabakken at Høgskolen i Innlandet. In the Norwegian Innlandet, where the Kynnareviret spreads across the national border into northern Värmland, there are wolves and wolverines, but also several areas that are highly interesting for wind power. The region is included in a new pilot study by Swedish and Norwegian researchers, and it now shows that the places that mainly wolverines choose to give birth to their young, high up in the landscape, coincide with the areas that are attractive for wind power development. – This can affect reproduction, that there will be lower growth and survival in a stock that is threatened. But since we have only been able to follow a few individuals, there is uncertainty about the effects, says Petter Wabakken. The amount of data on how wind power affects the predators in Scandinavia is still too small, and the researchers therefore want to equip more wolverines and wolves with transmitters in order to be able to draw certain conclusions. No investigation requirements today Today there is no general requirement for a predator investigation in the permit process for wind power and according to the county administrative board in Värmland, which also participated in the study, it is too early to say whether this needs to be changed. – This is new, so we need to think about how to take this into account going forward, says Maria Falkevik from regional development at the county administrative board in Värmland. At the same time, she emphasizes that she currently sees no major cause for concern for the animals, but that more research is desirable. Something she gets approval from Petter Wabakken. – We have only just begun. No one has looked at the effect of wind power on the wolverine, that we know of anyway. So more knowledge is needed.
t4-general
This is how wind power can disturb wolves and wolverines: “Growth is falling”
