WINDFARM OPPOSITION: Stop Parque Eolico Mar de Agata continues to collect signatures for petition Photo credit: Stop Parque Eolico Mar de Agata

OPPOSITION to the offshore Mar de Agata windfarm facing the Cabo de Gata-Nijar national park continues to grow.

To date 13,000 people – including members of 120 local, regional and national groups – have signed the online www.change.org petition organised by the Stop Parque Eolico Mar de Agata platform.

“They understand that the loss of biodiversity resulting from the windfarm would be as serious as climate change,” an Amigos del Parque Natural Cabo de Gata-Nijar group spokesperson said. “And the battle against climate cannot be fought at the expense of biodiversity.”

Environmentalist, wildlife protection groups and fishing guilds opposed to the Mar de Agata project have been joined by Ashal, which represents Almeria province’s hospitality sector, as well as associations whose members own businesses located inside the national park.

Stop Parque Eolico Mar de Agata argues that the 20 wind turbines, each of which is 261 metres high, would occupy an area of 70 square kilometres very close to several officially-protected marine zones.

The platform, which is continuing to collect signatures for the www.change.org petition stressed that renewable energy, if well-planned, is a good option for complying with the EU’s objectives.

“But the process needs a participative and decentralised transition, making use of already-developed areas with the least possible impact on the environment.”