May 10, 2018 — The New England Fishery Management Council is calling on federal regulators to address the concerns raised by fishing communities about the proposed Vineyard Wind offshore energy project. The request came in public comments the Council submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on April 30.
Specifically, the Council has asked BOEM to require that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project identify fisheries that are likely to be affected by wind farm construction, the potential alignment of the wind turbines, ways to mitigate any potential economic and environmental damage, and the cumulative effects of offshore energy development along the Atlantic coast. Vineyard Wind has proposed constructing a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.
“Commercial and recreational fisheries for the species managed by the Council are important sources of economic benefits along the entire Atlantic coast,” the Council writes. “If future benefits of these activities are to be realized, offshore energy development must minimize risks to marine species and existing human uses.”
According to the Council, BOEM must consider factors such as possible displacement of fishing activity, the impacts on vessels traveling through affected areas, and potential mitigation strategies for these impacts. As part of this analysis, the Council is requesting that BOEM investigate alternative plans for how wind farms and turbines are arranged on the ocean floor, to most effectively minimize their effects on existing ocean activities.
“A clear assessment of the costs and benefits associated with various layouts is critically important, as the setup of the array is fundamental to the ability of fishing activities to continue within the wind farm,” the letter states.
Finally, the Council asks that BOEM not just analyze the potential impact of the Vineyard Wind Project in isolation, but also take into account a long-term view of the cumulative effects wind energy development will have on the region’s fisheries.
“Given the number of wind energy projects being proposed along the Atlantic coast, the cumulative effects analysis must be comprehensive,” the Council writes. “We encourage a broad view of those projects that are reasonably foreseeable, keeping in mind that many fisheries operate on a regional scale and could be affected by projects offshore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as New York and New Jersey.”
Read the full letter here.