An Isle of Man wildlife charity says the environmental impact of the proposed Mooir Vannin offshore wind farm on Manx wildlife may have been 'understated'.

In a statement published during the ongoing examination of the project, Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) said the environmental work carried out by developer Ørsted does not properly assess the impact on wildlife in the Isle of Man.

And despite stressing its support for renewable energy, the charity said it is neither 'for' nor 'against' the proposed wind farm.

A spokesperson for MWT said: 'We support the need for renewable energy and recognise the urgency to act on climate change.

‘However, we are concerned that the impacts of this proposal on wildlife populations in the Isle of Man have likely been understated and that the assessments provided by the applicant do not provide clear analysis of impacts or mitigations in a specifically Manx context.'

If given the go-ahead, the Mooir Vannin wind farm would see 87 wind turbines placed in the Isle of Man’s territorial waters.

But in its statement, MWT said it thinks some of the environmental studies carried out do not contain enough information to fully assess the effect the development could have on marine wildlife.

It also argues the project has been assessed across a much wider area rather than focusing specifically on the Isle of Man, which it believes makes the impact on local wildlife appear smaller than it could be.

MWT pointed to the developer's own modelling, which estimates around 660 birds could be killed each year, including 466 seabirds such as guillemots, razorbills and puffins.

It said those figures may appear small when compared with bird populations across the UK and beyond, but are far more significant when measured against the birds that live in or spend the winter around the Isle of Man.

In response, a spokesperson for Ørsted said: ‘Our environmental surveys and impact assessment methods follow internationally recognised standards and were developed through extensive consultation with Manx statutory (e.g DEFA) and Tertiary (e.g. Manx Wildlife Trust) stakeholders.

‘They have also been scrutinised throughout the Examination. Manx Wildlife Trust has been engaged at all stages of project development and have had multiple opportunities to comment on both the scope of the surveys and the assessment methodology.

‘No alternative assessment approach has been proposed by Manx Wildlife Trust or other stakeholders. During the Examination we have provided extensive clarification on what we mean by the term “uniquely Manx”.

‘It means applying robust internationally recognised best-practice while reflecting the island’s specific environmental conditions, which is exactly what we’ve done. We have received no further questions in relation to the term from the Examining Body.’

‘In relation to the potential effects upon features of ornithological interest, our assessment concluded there are no likely significant effects requiring mitigation and that conclusion has been supported by the evidence presented throughout the Examination.’

MWT said its involvement had already influenced the plans, pointing to the removal of the proposed cable landfall at Port Skillion.

In its statement, the charity said: 'This option would have adversely impacted two Marine Nature Reserves, an Area of Special Scientific Interest and rare marine species found in Douglas Bay.'