Saving Seafood

Frustrated Fishermen Demand Answers, Transparency After Vineyard Wind Failure

August 2, 2024 — Members of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) are demanding a thorough investigation into the recent incident involving a detached blade from a Vineyard Wind turbine.

The mishap, which occurred on July 13, resulted in widespread debris across significant fishing areas from Nantucket to Cape Cod, causing concern among local fishermen.

Jerry Leeman, CEO of NEFSA, expressed the community’s frustration, stating, “Trust between fishermen and offshore wind developers is at an absolute nadir.”

Read the full story at Shore News Network

CAPE WIND; Fishermen blast feds over turbines

July 29, 2024 — Fishermen are blasting the feds for suggesting they don ’t care about the ocean ecosystem and have no interest in the protection of the endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The claim came during a hearing yesterday in Boston federal appeals court as two fishing groups look to toss Vineyard Wind’s underlying permit, arguing regulators failed to analyze how the project would impact the environment and fishermen.

The alliance, as a trade association representing the fishing industry, does not have any interest in protecting right whales,” said attorney Thekla Hansen-Young, representing the Department of the Interior, the National Marine Fisheries Service, among other federal agencies, in the dispute.

Hansen-Young was referring to the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, one of the groups fighting the feds and Vineyard Wind. Seafreeze Shoreside Inc. is the other.

Annie Hawkins, the coalition’s executive director, shot back at Hansen-Young’s “repugnant” assertions after the hearing in which judges took no action.

“We take extreme offense to the government’s claim that our fishermen members have even less environmental interest in our oceans than recreational hobbyists because fishermen just want to ‘kill’ fish,” Hawkins said. “This statement erases generations of history, tradition, and knowledge.”

“Fishermen are faithful stewards of the ocean because their relationship with the sea forms the very fabric of coastal culture, supports their businesses, jobs, and communities,” she added. “The government’s repugnant position reveals a hostility to our iconic industry that is sadly common in its dealings with us.”

Hawkins’ alliance challenged the $4 billion Vineyard Wind project in January 2022 before the case waded through the courts, and U.S. District Judge Inditra Talwani dismissed the suit last October.

Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and Seafreeze Shoreside claimed the 62-turbine, 806-megawatt wind farm would harm fishermen and the North Atlantic right whale.

The National Marine Fisheries Service determined that Vineyard Wind was“not likely to jeopardize the continued existence” of right whales and other endangered species  an opinion they maintained in 2020 and 2021.

Read the full article at the Boston Herald

New report highlights fisheries concerns over offshore wind development

April 23, 2023 — The fisheries have concerns about the rapid development of offshore wind farms and what remains unknown about how fish will be affected by wind energy technology.

A new report on the intersection of the fisheries and offshore wind from the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) outlined some of the concerns.

Fiona Hogan is RODA’s Research Director and the paper’s lead author.

The report highlights uncertainty about the noise produced from wind turbines. Hogan said it’s still not clear how fish will react.

“We’re not sure what the overall net impact of the full build-out across these areas will have in terms of noise output and how fish species might respond to that directly,” she said.

The question of whether fish could change location because of offshore wind development came from another problem included in the paper.

Read the full article at CapeCod.com

Virginia Partners with Fishing Industry to Inform Offshore Wind Compensation Fund Effort

December 14, 2022 — The following was released by Responsible Offshore Development Alliance: 

Today, nine Atlantic Coast States released a request for information (RFI) to receive feedback on a regional administrator for fisheries compensatory mitigation from offshore wind development.

The Commonwealth of Virginia acknowledges the great value of the commercial fishing industry and the need for their engagement in potential offshore wind development as early as possible. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) is responsible for the management of Virginia’s marine and aquatic resources, including the responsibility to ensure our historic seafood industry is maintained as economically healthy and sustainable. VMRC has been working toward encouraging early avoidance of fisheries resources with the goal of a coexisting relationship between renewable energy development and commercial fishing.

Through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, the Commonwealth has supported the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) to coordinate a critical group of commercial fisheries advisors to provide initial feedback on the States’ scoping effort and RFI. RODA is a coalition of fishery-dependent companies, associations and community members committed to improving the compatibility of new offshore development with their businesses. RODA is uniquely positioned to facilitate the involvement from the commercial fishing industries in the New England, Mid Atlantic, Gulf of Maine and Pacific regions as they relate to offshore wind development. “As providers of sustainable seafood, our members are deeply invested in protecting U.S. fisheries and are grateful to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the opportunity to participate in initial discussions of this state-led effort. It is essential that impacted parties have a central role in designing and administering strategies that will most effectively mitigate impacts of offshore wind, and we look forward to continuing to refine an equitable and appropriate compensation strategy,” said Lane Johnston, Programs Manager at RODA.

“The commercial fishing community are stewards of their resources and we as Virginians have a responsibility to ensure their equities are considered as we embrace an all-of-the-above energy plan that includes offshore wind. Our goal to ensure the Commonwealth has a reliable, affordable, clean and growing supply of power can be possible while protecting the jobs of our important fishing industry,” said Acting Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles. It is paramount that the fishing industry, as recipients of any mitigation and compensation strategies, are involved in designing a fair and appropriate regional compensation fund and administration process. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring the fishing industry is an acknowledged equity throughout the development of offshore wind and through the design process of the RFI. The Commonwealth looks forward to hearing from all industry voices through the RFI comment period.

FISHING INDUSTRY REQUESTS INCLUSION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A U.S. OCEAN CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

November 21, 2022 — The following was released by Responsible Offshore Development Alliance:

On November 18, 2022, U.S. commercial fishing industry leaders and participants submitted recommendations to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to inform the development of a U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP). The letter outlined nine specific actions necessary to develop an OCAP that is inclusive and protects the seafood industry’s role in contributing to food security, the economy, and the culture and heritage of our coastal communities. It was signed by 49 individuals from seafood harvesters, processors, and associations representing a wide array of fisheries from Maine to Alaska and California to North Carolina.

The recommendations are based on a November 15 comment letter submitted by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA).

The recommendations stress items including:
● The importance of collecting, understanding and incorporating fishermen’s ecological
knowledge in climate policy;
● Acknowledging the role of commercial fishing to the nation’s overall well-being;
● The significance of a fully informed decision-making process considering costs, impacts
and benefits; and
● The need to prioritize and enhance collaborations between agencies and stakeholders.

On October 4, 2022, OSTP released a Request for Information announcing its preparation of an
OCAP, which would span multiple activities from increasing offshore wind energy to conserving
marine areas to reducing shipping emissions. RODA’s response letter points to the importance of
federal support for a thriving domestic seafood industry–a cornerstone of coastal economies and
communities that is often overlooked in high-level ocean policies.

RODA’s West Coast Director Mike Conroy states, “OSTP has the opportunity to include those on
the front lines of climate change. Our members stand ready to assist in the development of an
OCAP that incorporates their knowledge and experience. Working collaboratively to consider
and implement ocean-based climate solutions that protect U.S. food security while maintaining
our ability to provide a low climate impact source of protein represents a win-win scenario.”

RODA SEEKS SUMMARY JUDGMENT AGAINST FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S APPROVAL OF VINEYARD WIND PROJECT

November 15, 2022 — The following was released by Responsible Offshore Development Alliance:

On November 8, 2022, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) filed a motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit over the approval of the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind energy project against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other federal defendants in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. RODA is represented by Marzulla Law, LLC.

The plaintiff, a national coalition of fishery-dependent businesses and associations, commenced the lawsuit last year after BOEM approved the project. This first commercial-scale offshore wind energy facility in federal waters, along with the dozens that are expected to follow in the near future, carry significant environmental uncertainty and pose severe threats to domestic seafood production. The government’s permitting process lacks meaningful opportunities to avoid, minimize, and mitigate these effects.

The motion establishes a clear record showing that the law and facts of the case are in fishermen’s favor and that the project approval was arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law. The filings show that BOEM’s Record of Decision and its underlying environmental review are in direct contravention of several statutes including the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Merchant Marine Act, and Administrative Procedure Act.

Fishing Industry Wants More Funding for U.S. Offshore Wind Studies

June 27, 2022 — The commercial fishing industry in the U.S. is calling for more federal funding for studies on the impact of offshore wind development on marine fisheries.

In an open letter, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance and Seafood Harvesters of America contend that the $46 million that the administration is asking Congress to allocate in the 2023 financial year to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to conduct surveys and research activities related to offshore wind is too low, given the rapid pace of offshore wind energy leasing.

The letter, addressed to key House and Senate leaders, represents the interests of 75 fishing associations and businesses in the U.S commercial fishing industry. These groups are asking Congress to increase research funding to a total of $73.7 million, including $43.7 million allocated for scientific survey mitigation and $30 million for cooperative research projects that address the impacts of offshore wind.

Read the full story at The Maritime Executive

 

California unveils largest U.S. offshore wind target

May 11, 2022 — California energy officials have released a draft of the West Coast’s first road map for offshore wind, calling for more gigawatts of electricity from the resource than any other U.S. state to date.

In a report made public Friday, the California Energy Commission staff recommended building 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030, followed by a larger wave of development in subsequent years. By 2045, staff found, the state should produce anywhere from 10 GW to 15 GW from turbines located off its coast, enough to power roughly 10 million to 15 million homes.

Implementing the state goals also would mean tangling with other ocean users ranging from fishermen and shipping interests to the Department of Defense and marine conservation authorities, acknowledged CEC staff in the report.

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), which represents fishermen, recently sued Interior for approving what would be the first utility-scale offshore wind in the country, off the coast of Massachusetts.

One RODA affiliate in California, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), said yesterday that the national process for siting offshore projects has been “a failure” and does not bode well for fair treatment of the fishing industry.

Mike Conroy, executive director of the PCFFA, said in an email that he believed California’s explicit goals for offshore wind production, if finalized, “essentially forces Agencies to approve a certain number of projects regardless of their impacts on fisheries, marine ecosystems, the environment, coastal communities, disadvantaged communities, and ratepayers.”

“As a result, there is a huge importance, from a process standpoint, of setting these goals since they dictate the downstream review process,” Conroy wrote.

Read the full story at E&E News

Do Offshore Wind Turbines Impact Fishing?

April 20, 2022 — Offshore wind seems poised to set sail on U.S. coasts. According to the Department of Energy, the burgeoning electricity source has the potential to generate more than 2,000 gigawatts (GW) of capacity per year—nearly double the nation’s current electricity use. Last fall, the Interior Department announced the commencement of construction on the nation’s first commercial scale wind farm, 15 miles off Martha’s Vineyard, and approved a deal for the second off Rhode Island. The Biden administration aspires to launch 16 such sites by 2025 and generate 30 GW of energy by 2030. But what impact will all the construction have on wildlife and fishing? A 10-year, $11 million U.S. Wind and University of Maryland study aims to find out.

Wind is the fastest growing energy source in the U.S., providing 42 percent of the country’s new energy in 2020. So far, most of that has come from land-based wind turbines. But, faster and steadier offshore wind speeds offer more potential. And as the cost of efficiently harnessing offshore wind has plummeted, that potential has soared.

But not everyone is pleased. A lone standoff last fall between a fishing boat and one of U.S. Winds’ giant research vessels symbolized the grievances of a key constituency: the ocean fishing community. Fishermen expressed concerns about damage to their equipment, disruption of the fishing grounds, and even the loss of their way of life. Annie Hawkins, the executive director of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, a trade association representing commercial fishermen, told the Guardian, “The fishing industry feels very strongly that they still do not have a meaningful voice in the process nor an authentic seat at the table.”

Read the full story at Field & Stream

MASSACHUSETTS: Offshore wind lease funds seen as potential aid for fishing industry

March 18, 2022 — The Baker administration and the Massachusetts Legislature have been gung-ho about pursuing offshore wind power and preparing the state’s infrastructure to deal with the consequences of climate change, but lawmakers during the week of March 7 impressed upon the administration the importance of keeping the state’s historic fishing industry in mind as well.

“We’ve been taking steps over the past couple of years to make sure that the commonwealth is a leader in the wind industry. However, I’m not insensitive to the fact that some of what we’re doing on wind and with renewables comes to the expense of one of our oldest professions, which is the fishing industry,” Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante of Gloucester said March 11 during a hearing on the energy and environment portions of Gov. Charlie Baker’s $48.5 billion fiscal-year 2023 budget bill.

Tension between the commercial fishing industry and offshore wind developers has been a constant thread as the new industry looks to establish its roots in the United States. The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, among others, has sued federal agencies contending that by approving the Vineyard Wind I project “the United States has shortcut the statutory and regulatory requirements that were enacted to protect our nation’s environmental and natural resources, its industries, and its people.”

Annie Hawkins, executive director of RODA, said the fishing industry supports “strong action on climate change, but not at the expense of the ocean, its inhabitants, and sustainable domestic seafood.” The Massachusetts Seafood Collaborative, a group of seafood harvesters, processors and wholesalers, has come out in stout opposition to the offshore wind bill the House has passed and generally any other Beacon Hill plans to promote and grow the offshore wind industry here.

Read the full story at Wicked Local