Man chases away red kite – high fine for environmental protection violation!

Man chases away red kite – high fine for environmental protection violation!

In the last few days, an incident in the Coesfeld district has caused a stir, not only attracting attention from conservationists, but also revitalizing the debate about wind power. A man was seen hitting trees with a stick to scare away a nesting pair of red kites. His goal? The planned wind turbines in the area should finally be built as planned. But there is a catch: red kites are considered worthy of protection, and their nests could make the construction of wind turbines much more difficult. The authority therefore issued a fine of 2,500 euros. But the accused appealed, and the Münster District Court decided that he must pay the fine in full, including additional administrative costs. WDR reports that ...

What is behind the dispute over the red kite? This bird of prey has spread widely in Germany, with around 60 percent of the global population living here. Last but not least, the red kite is known for being a major preventer of wind power projects. In Watterdingen in the Konstanz district, a red kite has even taken over the nest of a common buzzard - an unusual relocation that shows how strenuous the competition between birds can be. Jörg Dürr-Pucher, project developer at Solarcomplex AG, is planning to build three wind turbines near a nest; Nevertheless, the species could become a problem because it is considered a “collision-prone breeding bird species” according to the new Federal Nature Conservation Act. Süddeutsche.de declares that ...

Wind power and nature conservation in conflict

The situation illustrates the dilemma facing nature conservation and the drive for renewable energies: The federal government has set itself the goal of covering 80 percent of electricity consumption from renewable energies by 2030. In the first quarter of 2023, renewable energies already accounted for 47 percent of total electricity requirements. But conservationists and wind power opponents use current laws to delay or stop the construction of wind turbines. In particular, the new Federal Nature Conservation Act, which only came into force on July 29th, is intended to promote the preservation of the population of endangered bird species and at the same time encourage companies to minimize the risk of killing them.

The criticism of this law comes primarily from nature conservation associations, which point out possible incompatibility with EU law. In one example, the Reutlingen district had to wait eight years until five wind turbines were approved. Another problem is the distance rules, which stipulate that no wind turbines may be placed within 500 meters of a red kite nest. These requirements do not make it easy for engineers like Dürr-Pucher to advance their projects. The plan to submit the application for approval for the wind farm this year is therefore not a good thing.

In summary, it can be said that the red kite is more than just a bird - it symbolizes the ongoing conflict between nature and climate protection. In the future, it will depend on how we as a society deal with these challenges. It remains to be hoped that both the protection of this remarkable bird species and the expansion of wind turbines can go hand in hand.