In a note sent to the press by the Alavesa society Mendia Aske explained that the weather tower of 82.5 meters height installed by the company Aixeindar to measure the wind is the most dangerous for the birds, and has been installed in a very special area, on Mount Analamendi of the Sierra de Iturrieta: "The affected area is considered to be of special interest and is listed as a protection zone for the feeding of necrophagous birds, just 800 meters from Analandia. It is a critical field for the proliferation, feeding and life of many bird species. Among these species are the Bonelli eagle (Aquila fasciata), the quebrantabones (Gypaetus barbatus), the red milano (Milvus milvus), the alimoche (Neophron percnopterus), the red eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus), the fulanal eagle (Circaetus galus) and glycus. These species are included in the Catalogue of Threatened Species of the Basque Government. Some are classified as 'endangered', such as Bonelli's eagle, Quebrantabones and Red Milano, among others. It should also be noted that the measuring tower is located within a key ecological corridor that connects important protected spaces of the Natura 2000 network between Navarra and Álava, such as the ZEC and the Izki Natural Park, the ZEC of Entzia and the Urbasa Andía Natural Park of Navarra. Specifically, according to the CAPV Network of Ecological Corridors (2005), the area affected by the tower’s installation is classified as a “central zone”.

Environmental authorization asked the company for collision avoidance devices that currently do not guarantee

The Diputación de Álava has reported that the Natural Heritage Service of the Diputación de Álava, in granting administrative authorisation to the meteorological tower of the Aixeindarras, requested specific measures for the protection of the natural heritage. Such measurements included the placement of anti-collision devices on the cables or wire strainers of the measurement tower.

The devices installed by the company are of the type "Neoprene X", which reflect light during the night to prevent bird crashes. According to Mendia, "these elements have to be placed with each other at a distance of 10 meters. In order to ensure its proper organization, the following criterion is followed: if the installation is placed on a tensor at points 0, 10, 20..., the next tensor shall be placed at points 5, 15, 25, so that the birds can see it better".

However, the association has denounced that, just over a year after the installation of the wind measurement meteorological tower, most anti-impact elements such as "Neoprene X" have fallen or been released in the low areas of the tensors. This has left the bare cables "and thus increased the risk of collision of the bird life of the area".

Bird Collision Against Cables, Leading Cause of Unnatural Death

The Arabako Mendia Aske association has stressed the importance of this risk: "Collision is the leading cause of unnatural death of many bird species and, in some cases, the leading cause of population reduction and the main conservation problem. It is a global and terrible problem, as shown by the data obtained in different studies".

He explains that the risk of collision is aggravated in low vision situations: "Under optimal conditions, birds see cables well in advance and avoid them. But if the sight is bad (fog, rain, sunrise, sunset or night), they cannot detect the obstacle in time."

Alavesa Mountain asks that the tower be removed and that the wind power plant of Laminoria not be built

The Arabako Mendia Aske Association has called on the Provincial Council of Álava, "as the ultimate competent and responsible body, to exercise effectively the powers to protect the natural heritage". In addition, he has asked him, considering that this natural space is "very vulnerable", to do the following: Refusal of approval for the installation of the Laminoria Wind Power Plant.

It urges the company Aixeindar, S.A., to "immediately remove the measuring tower" for "non-compliance with the conditions of the authorization".