Abstract
As part of the plans of the Danish Government to expand offshore wind energy production, The Ministry of Environment and Energy, in collaboration with the Danish power companies, initiated a three year study of the effects of the Tuno Knob offshore wind farm on birdlife. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential conflict between offshore wind farms and waterbirds. Danish coastal waters support very large, internationally important concentrations of moulting migrating and wintering waterbirds which depend on shallow water areas as major feeding habitats. However, such shallow coastal areas are precisely the type of areas in which future wind farms are planned. Denmark is committed to protect and maintain these populations of waterbirds under international agreements.