Study finds fishing bycatch does not attract lesser black-backed gulls out of wind farms

Lesser black-backed gulls from the colony on the Dutch island of Neeltje Jans appear to avoid the wind farm off the Zeeland coast, with the exception of some males. NIOZ ecologist Rosemarie Kentie and her colleagues suspected the gulls were attracted by fishing boats outside the wind farm and the bycatch thrown overboard. This turned out not to be the case: Even during weekends, when there is little fishing, the birds rarely visit the wind farm.