The welfare of the common scoter, a rather ordinary black duck, has caused Parliament and other involved parties to drop the idea of a windfarm off the coast of Sejerø, an island located near the northwest coast of Zealand.

Both bird watchers and politicians are rejoicing at the cancellation of plans for 350 large wind turbines within the view of Sejerø’s picturesque coastline.

Just ducky
It was the fate of the little black duck that caused a majority to deny the construction of the windfarm.

“The turbines scare the scoters and would chase them away from some of their primary feeding grounds,” Lasse Braae, the head of the Zealand branch of the Danish Ornithological Society, told DR Nyheder.

“They are particular about where they feed, and it cannot be too deep for them to dive to the bottom and find food.”

NIMBY … or harbour
Jacob Jensen, Venstre’s MP for west Zealand, said he supported wind energy, but just not that close to a delicate coastline.

“Wind turbines are a good thing,” he said. “They just need to be further out where they create the least amount of disruption and generate the most amount of energy.”