Experts oppose plan to build wind farm in bird sanctuary 

Wind turbines and birds in Hokkaido are a contentious mix for academic societies raising issue over the impact that Daigas G&P Solution Co.’s proposed structures may have on wildlife.

The Ecological Society of Japan and the Ornithological Society of Japan announced at an April 7 news conference that they submitted a petition requesting that the Osaka-based company and related ministries review and modify plans to construct a wind farm.

Daigas’ proposed location spans Hokkaido’s coastal areas of Atsuma and Tomakomai.

The petition emphasizes that the project organizer’s environmental impact assessment does not account for several endangered species’ mating and nesting grounds that overlap with the construction site and the surrounding areas.

Red-crowned cranes and white-tailed eagles are part of the mix, as are eastern marsh harriers with only about 150 pairs estimated to exist in Japan.

It also highlights that no conservation measures have been mentioned despite the risk of bird collisions being significantly higher than in other projects.

“Renewable energy is important, and we are not saying that wind power generation is bad,” said Kaoru Kitajima, president of the Ecological Society of Japan and Kyoto University professor, at the news conference.

“I believe that it is crucial to consider biodiversity from the initial stage of the project based on scientific knowledge as a responsible company for it to maintain its reputation,” he added.

ECHOES LOCAL OPINION

The two groups are not the first to take issue with the wind farm and the company, which is part of the Osaka Gas group and has redrawn its plan once already.

Opposition from local governments and the Wild Bird Society of Japan led to the environment minister calling on Daigas to thoroughly review its outline at the end of March.

The original plan involved erecting 10 wind turbines capable of producing about 4,300 kilowatts that would begin operating from fiscal 2028.

As with the academic societies, local residents were concerned about the potentially adverse effects the project could have on the ecosystem.

Not only are the wetlands and grasslands near Lake Utonai in Tomakomai home to rare wildlife, the area is an established bird sanctuary and designated Ramsar Convention site.

Daigas presented its updated outline to Atsuma residents on April 5 where it lowered the number of proposed wind turbines to five.

The academic groups, meanwhile, had drawn up their requests before this meeting and the petition included their concerns on the initial 10 planned.

“We believe that the organizer carefully considered the plan,” Yutaka Watanuki, president of the Ornithological Society of Japan and a professor emeritus at Hokkaido University, said at the subsequent news conference.

However, he added that though the updated plan featured fewer turbines, “there is no change to the petition.”

Watanuki cited that the company’s research did not sufficiently identify nesting sites, nor did it factor in the risk of birds colliding with the structures.

The petition asks that the project be halted until the results of Daigas’ follow-up investigation are shared and its plan is revised based on the results.

It also requests that the project site be changed if the negative impacts cannot be avoided or reduced.