Whales in Offshore Wind Policy Discourse

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The environmental impact of offshore maritime infrastructure on large marine fauna refers to the concerns raised in both academic and political discourse regarding the potential negative impacts of offshore renewable energy infrastructure - particularly that of offshore wind turbines - on large marine fauna such as whales. These concerns have frequently featured in debates for and against the construction and funding of more maritime sustainable energy infrastructure.

Prominent political figures, notably the American president Donald J. Trump, have voiced these concerns and linked whale deaths to the development and operation of offshore wind turbines. However widespread these concerns may be, current peer-reviewed research and assessments by scientific and regulatory bodies suggest that while whales may be disturbed by the construction and operation of offshore wind turbines, they are unlikely to be killed or injured as a result, though more research is needed.. Additionally, guidelines that seek to mitigate and reduce any possible negative impact on local wildlife have been, and are continuously being, developed and implemented in Europe and North America, and other regions.

Background

The development and construction of offshore maritime infrastructure are subject to varying guidelines and regulatory restrictions based the jurisdictions in whose territorial waters the infrastructure is located in.

Major offshore renewable energy jurisdictions have established regulatory frameworks that limit development and construction to safeguard the habitat of marine wildlife, including large fauna such as whales. These frameworks guide and restrict offshore renewable energy in all phases, including planning, construction and operation of the infrastructure.

European framework for offshore maritime energy infrastructure

The European Union has multiple environmental directives and spatial planning requirements that require careful consideration of local maritime wildlife and conservation of species when planning to develop infrastructure. These frameworks unify and legislate development and operation across all European coastal states - requiring compliance and developed based on scientific evidence - though the frameworks have been criticized for not having binding targets.

United States framework for offshore maritime energy infrastructure

The United States of America, similarly to the EU, has several frameworks (including federal statutes), and agencies that inform and legislate the development of offshore maritime energy infrastructure, including continuously proposing and passing bills and agencies like NOAA. These frameworks and agencies serve to limit, and promote development while enforcing any potential breach of law. Notably, recent American legislation seeks to speed up development of offshore energy projects while specifically restricting the development of offshore wind turbines - by restricting licensing and issuance of permits .

Claims Regarding Offshore Energy and Whale Impacts

Deaths/injuries caused by sound

Offshore wind farms are often criticized as posing a threat to local wildlife, with particular attention being paid to the risk posed to whales. One of the most common claims from the political sphere is that noise pollution can affect whales' mental health, exemplified by Donald J. Trump's comment that wind turbines makes whales "batty". Scientifically, noise pollution - often that of ships - has been shown to affect whale behaviour, with varying effects depending on the species and level of noise. Exposure to noise is believed to generally be harmful to whales - causing an alteration of behaviour, though notably these scientific findings have informed legislation and guidance efforts in the mitigation of exposure

Contact with windmills

Another claim is that widespread adoption and construction of offshore wind turbines will lead to hundreds of whale deaths a year, a claim that has circulated on facebook and local political debates - for example in regards to local proposals in the Australian coastal region of Illawarra. Stranded whales have also at times been claimed to have died as a result of contact with offshore wind turbines, as is the case with Maryland representative Andy Harris, who in 2023 claimed a whale died as a result of offshore windmills. The exact mechanism by which the whales are injured in these claims is often unspecified - but it is well-known that collisions with or being struck by ships is a way by which whales are sometimes harmed or killed, and that the risk is prevalent globally.

Scientific Evidence

Scientifically, the impacts of the presence of maritime sustainable energy infrastructure (such as offshore wind turbines) differ depending on the phase of development - whether it's during construction or operation - and on the specific species of whale and the mitigation efforts that have been put in place, although significant gaps remain in the literature that inhibit a more complete understanding of the effects.

With regards to mortality, current scientific assessments carried out by reputable organizations show little evidence of a definitíve causal link between offshore wind turbines and large-scale mortality events of whales. Consistently, whale mortality is thought to be related to strikes with vessels, or entanglement with fishing gear, as much evidence reliably traces whale deaths to those causes .

Factors such as construction noise, vessel traffic and surveying in relation to the development of offshore wind turbines (or farms) are subject to many mitigation efforts and monitoring requirements, these factors may present possible harm to whale populations, but their current impact is understood to be localized and limited.

Media Framing & Public Perception

It has been documented in academic research in political communication and in investigative journalism that large marine fauna, such as whales, have become symbols in public debates over the development of offshore renewable energy, often with regards to windmills. Frequently, claims of offshore wind turbines killing, or otherwise injuring, whales are made by political actors in opposition to the construction or development of new offshore wind turbines.

Public Perception of offshore wind turbines

The role of political debate and discourse in the establishment of offshore renewable energy infrastructure is complex, with studies showing that it is often controversial and the role of misinformation in both the debate and concrete development of energy infrastructure not fully understood.

Lobbying against offshore wind turbines

Part of the public debate, that influences both how projects are perceived and the political viability of the projects, which can have a large impact on the potential success or failure of the project, is the presence of organizations that lobby for or against offshore renewable energy.

While there is a notable lack of studies that examine the effect of lobbying on the public perception and policy success of offshore wind turbine farms, much investigative journalism has been written on the presence of particularly American organized opposition to offshore wind farms. Organizations such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation , Save Right Whales and American Coalition for Ocean Protection are well-connected and vocal in their opposition to the establishment of offshore wind turbines. These organizations center the well-being and protection of whales in their rhetoric, and criticize offshore wind projects from a belief that whales are being harmed (and/or killed) by these projects - and as a consequence lobby against their development. Organizations such as Save Right Whales will notably cite scientific evidence as part of their argumentation, but specifically cite studies that seemingly disagree with the wider scientific consensus, and are commissioned on behalf on the organization itself.

Articles by organization such as The Texas Observer, a local nonprofit news organization, link the funding of some of the organizations to major conservative donors and corporations . While academic research on the effect of these organizations is largely scant, one study posits that these organization are part of a larger organized effort using whales as a political symbol to lobby against offshore wind turbines - whether for environmental concerns or financial concern.

More research is needed into the dynamics, effects and financial interests of lobbying against offshore renewable energy such as wind turbines - with opportunity for greater understanding of the role of whales in the politics of the establishment of offshore renewable energy.

References

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