The delivery of Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission's (SHE Transmission's) £1.1 billion Caithness-Moray project involves some unique challenges. One of these is minimising any disturbance to the Moray Firth's resident bottlenose dolphin population during installation of the subsea cable which is at the heart of the work.
Earlier this summer, SHE Transmission marine environment specialist Peter Watson was asked by BBC School Radio to meet up with P7 pupils from Milne's Primary School in Fochabers and representatives from wildlife charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) to answer questions about the work that takes place to protect marine mammals during planning and construction.
Peter was interviewed by the children outside WDC's Spey Bay Visitor Centre, overlooking the Moray Firth, and explained the studies that are being carried out before work begins and the continuous monitoring that will take place throughout cable installation.
Afterwards he said: “It was great to meet the children from Milne's Primary and, through their questions, to explain the work we do on projects like Caithness-Moray to a wider audience in schools across the UK.
“SHE Transmission's work is needed to allow more sustainable sources of energy to connect to the electricity network in the north of Scotland. Throughout this project, our team has worked to protect the Moray Firth dolphins, and the other whales in the firth, from any disturbance our work might cause. We have worked with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and other conservation organisations, to draw upon their knowledge and expertise in the planning process. Hopefully, some of the data collected and observations made while our work is under way will contribute to better understanding the dolphins and their habitat.”