March 20, 2024 — With two offshore wind projects (partially) up and running, Massachusetts fishing permit and vessel owners may now enroll in compensation programs to cover economic losses caused by the construction and operations of wind farms. The millions in funds are available to fishermen of certain states, but depending on the state they fish out of or the project they’re affected by, they’ll encounter different rules and conditions in order to receive that compensation.
Because the projects and funds are independent of (and different from) one another, fishermen must apply separately to be eligible for each program. This process, and criticism of it, have prompted efforts underway at the state and national level to establish a regional or national fund that would standardize and simplify the process across states, fisheries and developers.
Fishing vessels are not barred from transiting or fishing in the wind leases once construction is completed. However, some captains are wary of towing their nets within and may outright avoid the arrays, where turbines are spaced one-nautical mile apart and linked to one another via high voltage cables buried at least 5 feet deep.
Developers are encouraged to follow a hierarchy when it comes to project impacts: first avoid, then minimize, then mitigate. Compensation falls within that last step. When other options (like avoidance of a fishery) are not possible, developers mitigate those impacts through these financial compensation programs.
Vineyard Wind’s program
Vineyard Wind entered an agreement with Massachusetts in 2020, establishing a $19 million fund to compensate affected fishermen and shoreside businesses that provide goods or services to the fishing industry.
“The launch of these funds is the latest example of our commitment to working with the fishing industry to create successful programs together,” said Crista Bank, the fisheries manager for Vineyard Offshore (Vineyard Wind’s parent company), when the program opened this month. “We’ve also employed dozens of fishing vessels to work on different scopes of the project, a model we hope to expand as we develop projects around North America.”