Wildlife Trust voices fears over barrage (From Gazette Series)

Avon Wildlife Trust voices fears over Severn barrage proposals

8:30am Friday 5th March 2010 in News By Liza-Jane Gillespie

THE Wildife Trust fears that a barrage across the River Severn would have a devastating impact on the estuary.

The conservation charity is calling on the government to invest in innovative low-impact technologies.

In a report, called Energy at any price?, the Avon Wildlife Trust said the Severn Estuary is a haven for commercial fish stocks, provides a means of transport and trade and is the site of many recreational pursuits, such as surfing the famous Severn Bore.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is currently researching the feasibility of harnessing Severn tidal power.

One of the options being considered by the government is 10-mile barrage from Cardiff to Weston, which could potentially produce up to five percent of the country’s energy needs.

However, a barrage has proven the most controversial suggestion among conservation groups, which prefer technologies such as a tidal reef system or a tidal fence that do not block the flow of the river.

Lucy Rogers, director of conservation programmes for Avon Wildlife Trust, said: "It is no exaggeration to say the Severn Estuary is an irreplaceable part of the UK's natural heritage. "It is a dynamic system which affects all our lives. We want to remind people about what the Severn Estuary means; it is part of our cultural heritage and it is also very much part of today too; people rely on it for their livelihoods. We are mobilising our members to take action.

"We cannot view our energy needs in isolation from our environment. Altering the Severn's intertidal habitat is so risky. We have a moral and ethical obligation to ensure the best options for the natural environment are pursued.

"We should not consider outdated technology which could impact on the estuary on an unprecedented scale.

"Destroying the Severn Estuary, arguably the eighth natural wonder of the world, would be a deadly sin."

DECC is not expected to reveal the results of its Severn Tidal Power feasibility study until after the General Election.