Better utilisation and transparency of bird data collected by powerline companies

Wildlife and power lines: guidelines for preventing and mitigating wildlife mortality associated with electricity distribution networks

“…Some companies already perform studies of this type and collect at least some of these data during the construction and/or monitoring phases (see Kettel et al, 2019). These studies are of great value, as they gather first-hand information on how effective the mitigation and prevention systems adopted have been, and they should be disseminated and used to improve power line management (Figure 173).…”

“…7. Collection and analysis of data on dangerous power lines or they provide their data for use in scientific publications or in conservation initiatives in partnership with non-governmental organisations (Kettel et al, 2019); examples of this type of partnership are the Eskom-EWT Strategic Partnership, https://www.ewt. org.za/what-we-do/wildlife-and-energy-programme/, and the French National BirdLife Committee, http://rapaces.lpo.fr/cna-oiseaux-et-lignes-electriques.…”

“…The systematic collection and dissemination of all such information would be invaluable for other electricity companies and stakeholders when assessing the vulnerability of species to power lines and also during the planning stage and when developing mitigation measures through mapping the sensitivity and vulnerability of species. This would not only help avoid power line construction in the highestrisk areas and identify priority locations for mitigation measures, but also minimise costs (Kettel et al, 2019). Furthermore, electricity companies could demonstrate their commitment to society and nature conservation by making the results of their reports available to everyone and contributing to the creation of national databases, and even developing citizen science initiatives to collect data and information (see Section 7.5).…”

“…Much of the scientific literature is difficult for external stakeholders to access, evaluate or understand. As a result, information on best practice for reducing the impact of power lines on wildlife is not always widely known and electricity companies or governments might not have the resources to conduct extensive literature searches (Kettel et al, 2019). For companies to plan and design low-impact infrastructure and implement mitigation measures when needed, and for governments to develop the appropriate regulatory frameworks and/or the necessary agreements with companies, they both need to have the best existing information at their disposal, but they also must do their part to obtain it and make good use of it.…”

“…Conceptual framework for how data/information (top) informs derived products (middle) and activities required of power companies (bottom). Source: adapted fromKettel et al, 2019.…”