Tidal Industry Seal Project: Advancing Environmental Evidence for Scaled Tidal Deployment

The Tidal Industry Seal Project (TISP) report was developed with input from eight leading organisations in tidal energy and environmental assessment. Although extensive monitoring to date has found no evidence of seal-turbine collisions, a high level of precaution is still applied to the perceived risk – particularly in the context of ongoing harbour seal decline in the region. This highlights the need for science-led, proportionate approaches that uphold environmental protection while keeping pace with readiness for scaled deployment.

The tidal energy industry has formed a regional developer group. It is committed to working together with regulators and research institutions to strengthen the evidence base on the seal collision risk with tidal turbines and increase the reliability and accuracy of impact assessments. This could involve the development of effective mitigations, better use of existing evidence, exploring opportunities to enhance the environment and trialling new monitoring technologies.

TISP sets out a series of recommendations calling for coordinated action across government, industry, regulators and key delivery bodies to strengthen policy, planning, evidence and monitoring frameworks.

Read the report here: Tidal Industry Seal Project report