Death Trap for Big Birds – Power Companies Prevent Safe Power Lines for Birds – News


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The protective measures for birds planned by the federal government do not come because the electricity industry resisted because of the costs. Bird protection organizations are frustrated.

Power poles are death traps for large bird species. With their large wings, they can trigger short circuits. For storks and eagle owls, electrocution on power poles is one of the most common causes of death. Now the authorities wanted to oblige the electricity companies to secure all pylons. But the electricity industry successfully defended itself.

We had significant differences with the Federal Office.

For example, eagle owls and storks are protected animal species. Eagle owls are even on the Red List of Threatened Species. So the deathtrap power pole is a problem. Three years ago, the environment department wanted to make the electricity companies responsible. By the end of 2030, they were supposed to insulate or cover all masts in dangerous places across Switzerland, but nothing happened.

But after that nothing happened

Now the reason is also clear. The electricity industry has put up a massive fight, and with success. Robin Poël from the Federal Office for the Environment confirmed to Radio SRF: “Last year the environment department decided to postpone the revision. The main reason was the tense situation on the electricity market.”

The obligation to rehabilitate is off the table for the time being. The decision was preceded by negotiations between the authorities and the electricity industry – more precisely the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies VSE. But no compromise was found. The electricity industry warned of high costs. He estimated 600 million francs. That is eight times more than the federal government had calculated.

What does this mean for the bird population?


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SRF science editor Christian von Burg says what this decision means for the species.

SRF News: What does this mean for the bird population in Switzerland?

Christian von Burg: This affects the bird species very differently. The number of white storks in Switzerland, for example, has increased massively in recent years because most storks no longer migrate across the Sahara, but land in Spain and stay there.

They find a lot of food in the open dumps there. This means that if some of these storks die on our medium-voltage pylons, then that is unnecessary and a pity, but it is currently not relevant for the white stork population as a whole.

The situation is different with black vultures, which have recently come to us in the summer. This species reproduces very, very rarely and is acutely endangered throughout Europe. Because every black vulture counts, the power poles in Greece, for example, have long since been secured. It is very important for certain large bird species.

Which factors are more relevant to bird survival?

The birds are losing their habitats and their food. For example, the skylark no longer finds any place to breed in the densely sown wheat fields, and the meadows are being fertilized so heavily that previously common meadow flowers are disappearing.

This is how the insects that live on and off the flowers disappear. And the birds, on the other hand, find too few insects to feed their young. This process takes place everywhere, throughout Switzerland. And it is more drastic for the bird life than the power poles.

Ultimately, this would have been at the expense of electricity customers. In addition, protective measures are not technically possible in all cases. The VSE Director Michael Frank is pleased that the exercise is right to end at this point in time: “We had significant differences with the Federal Office, cost estimates were very far apart.”

Bird protection is frustrated

Against this background, he finds it positive news, the VSE director continues. On the other side are conservationists. Raphael Ayé, CEO of the bird protection association Birdlife Switzerland, says he is frustrated with the power industry’s decision.

It gives a feeling of powerlessness.

Ayé emphasizes: “It gives a feeling of powerlessness. It shows how heavily lobbying interests are weighted. It has not yet been understood that we have an acute biodiversity crisis – globally and even more so in Switzerland.”

The power industry disagrees, as the industry would always bird-proof new and refurbished power poles, and would also specifically upgrade poles after bird-killing incidents. But the power pole remains a death trap.

The electricity industry is catching on and bird conservationists feel left in the lurch.

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