December 6, 2018 — Offshore wind development appeared on Tuesday’s agenda at a New England Fishery Management Council meeting, however, it wasn’t expected to pop up during discussion on closures affecting the clamming industry.
Peter Hughes, a liaison for the Atlantic Council, couldn’t digest the fact that an offshore wind leasing area identified in a similar region extends upwards of 1,400 square miles, while the clamming industry, which sought less than 300 square miles off of Nantucket Shoals, couldn’t receive approval.
The notion only gained traction after the council voted against the resolution the clamming industry had wanted, which would have provided exemption to the 280 miles of harvesting area. Instead, the council adopted a modifed version that closed Rose and Crown and Zone D to clamming.
“It’s amazing to me that they’ve turned this complete blind eye on really the most intrusive project that’s ever come on the East Coast, which is wind,” said Scott Lang, former New Bedford mayor and attorney for the clam industry. ”… They’re acting like that’s something we’re just going to have to live with, but a fishery that’s been around for a couple hundred years is a threat to the habitat.”
Both Hughes and Lang said they supported offshore wind, but the fishing industry should receive the same cooperation from NOAA.