Fishing chiefs and experienced seamen condemned the offshore windfarms which are proliferat-ing off the Yorkshire coast, warning that they were playing havoc with radar and increasing the
risk of sea collisions and accidents.
They spoke out as it emerged that a government agency had been tasked with examining the dangers of the turbines.
Windfarm builders are waiting for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) report, due within days. The agency was ordered to investigate after the House of Commons Transport Committee heard evidence that large groups of generators could interfere with ordinary navigation and search-and-rescue operations, either by physically obstructing radio and radar waves or through electromagnetic interference.
The MPs said they were surprised that no one seemed to know whether this was likely or not.
Now the MCA has completed extensive trials with a range of ships and aircraft around the small North Hoyle windfarm, off the north Wales coast. Much bigger windfarms are due to be built, including some off the Yorkshire coast.
Fishing industry leaders voiced their fears at the same time as a new poll by environment group Greenpeace showed more than 80 per cent of people in the Yorkshire area supported plans to increase the number of wind turnbines in Britain.
Doug Beveridge, of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation, based in Grimsby, said: "It wouldn't be wrong to say that the Government has created a disaster in the making. There's no just system in place to say where these turbines should be.
"No consideration is given to the volume of vessels who use these areas. The system as it stands is a farce and we need a moratorium on any more being allowed or built until we find out just what impacts they can have, especially from a safety perspective.
"Dozens of turbines are suddenly popping up in shipping channels that are busier than some motorways, and they're interfering with essential equipment, as well as causing who knows what problems to fish stocks."
The chief fishery officer at the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee, David McCandless, added: "We need to know more about the dangers and need to know quickly. There could be real problems. Other fisheries committees have been quite candid with me about the fact that vessels are genuinely finding shadows appearing on their radar."
Between 1975 and 2001 there were 557 collisions between ships and off-shore gas installations in the British coastline shelf.
The head of offshore for the British Wind Energy Association, Gordon Edge, said the experiences of Danish windfarms suggested there was no problem to be discovered. One windfarm, a fairly small one, is located near the entrance to the busy harbours of the Danish capital Copenhagen.
Last year the Government approved 15 new offshore British sites for development, including two that are likely to develop into the world's biggest offshore windfarms, and smaller, but still substantial, sites off the Yorkshire coast.
When approval was given, east coast fishermen were particularly concerned about a site called the Humber Gateway, about five miles off Spurn Point.
Another proposed site was Westernmost Rough, about six miles east of Hornsea.
The issue was raised as the leaders of the two main political parties make speeches on global warming. Tory leader Michael Howard will speak today at the Institute of Directors, and Tony Blair will address a business and environment conference tomorrow.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Jim Footner said: "It's no surprise people in Yorkshire support windpower. We all face an uncertain future as climate change kicks in, with floods and rising sea levels.
"There are people in the region who vehemently oppose tackling climate change with wind power, but this poll shows they are a vocal minority."
dave.mark@ypn.co.uk