Fact Check: Are Offshore Wind Turbines Responsible for Whale Deaths in the UK?
Are Offshore Wind Turbines Responsible for Whale Deaths in the UK?
A viral photo circulating on social media claims that two dead sperm whales found on the UK's east coast were killed by offshore wind turbines. The claim is accompanied by an article allegedly authored by "Frank Heggarty," asserting that marine environmental experts blame offshore wind turbines for the deaths of the whales.
Click here and here to view the link.
Fact Check:
No scientific evidence supports the claim, hence the claim is misleading.
The NOAA Fisheries page clarifies that offshore wind turbines are not directly responsible for whale deaths. It emphasizes ongoing efforts to study and mitigate impacts on marine mammals, such as noise monitoring and mitigation measures during wind farm construction. While strandings may occur due to factors like navigation errors, illness, or environmental changes, there is no conclusive evidence linking these events to offshore wind activities.
A Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) whale biologist emphasizes that offshore wind farms have never been found to contribute to whale deaths, including for critically endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale. Causes of death for juveniles and adults are typically vessel strikes or fishing gear entanglements, yet these are often overlooked in anti-wind campaigns. WHOI Oceanus.
Several factors, according to experts and officials, may be increasing risks to marine life, including whales. Climate change is warming oceans and altering the distribution of prey that marine species rely on. This has led to whales changing their migration routes, often moving out of protected areas and closer to shores. In these coastal regions, whales face greater risks of ship strikes and entanglement with fishing gear, which are the primary causes of whale deaths.
The images used in the viral posts have been circulating online since 2016 and we also found the same image with a different claim debunked by AFP Fact Check in 2019. The same photo was previously linked to other unrelated claims.
The viral post, which includes an article claiming that UK offshore wind turbines are responsible for whale deaths in the UK, allegedly authored by "Frank Heggarty," lacks credibility. No verifiable sources or credible news outlets support this claim. Additionally, there is no evidence of an author named "Frank Heggarty" linked to any legitimate publication.
The claim that UK offshore wind turbines caused the deaths of two sperm whales on the UK's east coast is misleading, as there is no scientific evidence to support. Additionally, the viral image has been reused multiple times for false claims, further discrediting its authenticity.