January 7, 2025 — In Europe, where offshore wind turbines have operated for a decade or more, some governments ban fishermen from entering wind farms. Others limit the activity to only “passive” fishing (crab pots, for example). But in the U.S., fishermen will be allowed to fish in the wind farms once they’re up and operating. That doesn’t mean they will.
Fishermen’s decisions will depend on several factors: their type of gear (are they towing a net or deploying fixed gear, like lobster traps?); weather conditions; and where the fish are. In addition to safety risks, some fishermen are concerned that wind farms will impact the distribution and behavior of fish stocks at the turbine or regional scale.
“From the fishing industry perspective, the vast majority of the gear types we work with are not feeling that they would be able to safely operate within a wind farm,” said Lane Johnston, manager at the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA). The organization advocates on behalf of fishermen, and is engaged in a lawsuit against an offshore wind project.
Turbines are spaced about one nautical mile apart. Though that seems far away on a small vessel, Johnston said fishing nets can extend far from the boats and shift in currents. Additionally, the vessel will want to follow where the fish are: “You’re not always fishing in a straight line between turbine A and B.”
The safety concern of navigating within the wind arrays is also compounded by potential turbine impacts on vessel radar.