Saving Seafood

Maine fishing interests seek total ban on offshore wind energy

May 6, 2021 — More than 60 commercial fishermen and their supporters testified Tuesday in favor of a bill that would block any attempt to develop offshore wind projects anywhere along the Maine coast.

The bill would prohibit any state agency from permitting or approving any offshore wind energy project regardless of its location. It was introduced by Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, a commercial fisherman, and co-sponsored by eight other Republican lawmakers.

The testimony on L.D. 101 from lobstermen, their families and town officials from fishing communities drew a clear line in the sand: Any offshore wind development, they told told lawmakers on the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, would threaten the very survival of their iconic industry and way of life.

In his testimony, Faulkingham said offshore wind was the worst kind of green energy — calling it up to five times more expensive than market prices, a threat to sea birds and mammals that would eventually take up an area four times larger than Casco Bay and enrich foreign corporations with taxpayer money. Nuclear power and Canadian hydro are better options, he said.

“It is time to put a permanent halt to offshore wind development,” Faulkingham said, calling it “a science project.”

Asked by a fellow lawmaker if his opposition was a case of not-in-my-backyard, Faulkingham said no.

Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader

Maine lawmakers asked to decide fate of offshore wind power

May 5, 2021 — The complex questions and decisions about offshore wind power for Maine have now been dropped in the laps of the Legislature.

Lawmakers on Tuesday heard two competing bills. One would ban any projects and the other would slow down some of it but keep the one current project moving.

Gov. Janet Mills and environmental groups are strongly supporting offshore wind development as a tool to fight climate change, with more renewable energy. But Maine fishermen say its risking great harm to the lobster industry and other fisheries because of a range of possible environmental impacts, from vibrations disrupting fish and marine mammals to mooring chains damaging the ocean floor and harming marine life here.

There are few scientific studies to prove or disprove those impacts, and fishermen say the risk of moving ahead with those wind turbine projects is simply too great.

“What if it is as bad as we think it is?” asked Jim Wotton of Friendship in a recent interview. “Where will we be then? Is it worth taking a chance on the Gulf of Maine for this?”

Read the full story at News Center Maine

Mills files proposed moratorium on wind power in heavily fished waters off Maine’s coast

April 30, 2021 — Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is seeking a temporary ban on the development of offshore wind in waters managed by the state.

On Wednesday, Mills introduced legislation – sponsored by Sen. Mark Lawrence, D-York, chairman of the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee – that would impose a 10-year moratorium on new wind power projects in state waters.

In a statement, Mills said the state is “uniquely prepared to grow a strong offshore wind industry, create good-paying trades and technology jobs around the state, and reduce Maine’s crippling dependence on harmful fossil fuels” but not at the expense of the state’s storied fishing industry.

“We will focus these efforts in federal waters farther off our coast, as we responsibly pursue a small research array that can help us establish the best way for Maine to embrace the vast economic and environmental benefits of offshore wind,” she said.

Lawrence said the proposal “strikes the right balance to protect Maine’s fisheries and coastal waters, while continuing to advance the great energy and economic potential for offshore wind energy in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine.”

Read the full story at The Center Square

MAINE: Fishermen Making A Stand At Augusta Civic Center

April 29, 2021 — If you notice more vehicles than usual making their way from the Midcoast to Augusta this morning complete with signs, there’s a reason for this rally. It started at 8:00 am at the Augusta civic center the Maine Midcoast Fisherman’s Association is requesting everyone’s support to stop the development of wind turbines off the coast of Maine.

Wind turbines are nothing new in Maine. In fact you can see several on Vinalhaven. They are visible from the mainland and while they are clean energy, do nothing for the view. Now, Governor Mills wants to place these turbines in the Gulf of Maine. The fishermen know this will be detrimental to the marine life and in turn be detrimental to their livelihood.

These turbines can be as tall as 400 feet. They are floating structures designed to harvest the winds well off the coast. Even though they will be several miles out to sea, fishermen believe it will affect the fishing grounds. The turbines need cables to deliver the electricity to the mainland and these cables will prevent ground fishing where they are placed.

Read the full story at B98.5

MAINE: Fishermen’s protest previews offshore wind as potent political issue for Janet Mills

April 29, 2021 — Ongoing friction between fishing interests and Gov. Janet Mills is shaping up to be a major battle in next year’s gubernatorial race as the incumbent’s opponents look to leverage frustration with her long-term offshore wind plan.

Lobstering supporters turned out in droves on Wednesday morning to protest the Mills administration, with people selling T-shirts and water bottles and carrying signs depicting a lobster claw crushing a windmill. A group of attendees laid ropes to illustrate how much space a turbine’s equipment would occupy.

Tensions between Mills and the industry have been steadily rising during her tenure on the issue. A survey boat for the New England Aqua Ventus wind project accused fishing boats of blocking its work this spring. Another 12-turbine research array is planned in the Gulf of Maine. Industry members seem frustrated by Mills’ stance on both projects. It could prove to be a challenge for Mills next year as former Gov. Paul LePage eyes a comeback campaign.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Maine homes in on offshore wind site, but fishermen’s protests continue

April 28, 2021 — Using fishery data and interviews with fishermen, state fishery regulators are working to identify areas in federal waters off Maine’s southern coast that will have least potential conflict between the fisheries and a proposed offshore windmill site.

Fishermen attending a virtual meeting hosted Tuesday night by the Department of Marine Resources condemned a plan by offshore wind developer New England Aqua Ventus to lease up to 16 square miles in the Gulf of Maine to install up to 12 wind turbines.

In addition, fishermen and their supporters gathered this morning at the Augusta Civic Center for a “Protect the Gulf of Maine” rally to protest the pace of wind development.

In a related development, Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday introduced legislation to establish a 10-year moratorium on new offshore wind projects in state waters, while reaffirming her administration’s priority of locating offshore wind projects in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine.

Read the full story at MaineBiz

MAINE: Gov. Mills seeks to broker peace between fishing, wind power

April 28, 2021 — Maine’s governor introduced a proposal on Wednesday that would establish a decade-long moratorium on new offshore wind projects in state waters.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, a proponent of wind power, made the proposal as members of the state’s fishing industry raised questions about locating wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine. The gulf is a critical fishing ground for lobster harvesters and other fishermen.

Mills said in a statement that her moratorium would “preserve state waters for valuable fishing and recreation, while reaffirming Maine’s priority of locating offshore wind projects in federal waters of the Gulf of Maine.” She cited the fact Maine has proposed the first research array for floating offshore wind technology in those waters.

Mills also said she crafted the proposal, which was submitted to the Maine Legislature, in response to concerns from the fishing industry. Most lobster fishing takes place in state waters, she said.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Caledonian Record

MAINE: Dock Talk: An array of risks

April 8, 2021 — In June 2019, Maine’s Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill requiring the state Public Utilities Commission to approve the contract for an offshore wind pilot project in Maine. This project will operate an 11-MW turbine off of Monhegan Island.

Though touted as research to explore clean energy alternatives, this project is an experiment. And during this experiment, power generated will be sold for profit, likely to out of state consumers. Information from this research will not just benefit scientists, but also big-money energy investors who want to develop wind farms throughout the Gulf of Maine.

“When you a look at a chart of where all the preferred wind farm leases are on the East Coast and compare that to the chart NMFS has made showing the most heavily fished areas, almost every lease is based directly on or adjacent to the best grounds,” said fisherman Glen Libby.

There is a lot more at stake here than may meet the eye. Drilling the ocean meters down, placing cables and topping with an artificial cover for miles will at the very least disrupt and at the very worst destroy countless marine life habitats, ecosystems and breeding grounds, which will influence the food chain from there on up, not to mention the unknown long-term effects chemicals coating the underground cables may have on the environment and consumers.

Electromagnetic fields and noise from offshore wind turbines can interrupt the natural cycles of robust native species as well as endangered and protected marine species — including right whales, for which lobstermen have changed fishing practices and gear to avoid doing any potential harm.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MAINE: Stonington top port in state for 2020

March 29, 2021 — Maine’s commercial fisheries are thriving in spite of a pandemic year, tariffs on trade with China and looming issues affecting lobsters and lobstermen. The Maine Department of Marine Resources announced on March 24 an ex-vessel value of $516,796,614 for the state’s 2020 commercial landings.

Even Governor Janet Mills weighed in: “Maine fishermen and seafood dealers weathered one of the most difficult years in memory, but through hard work and an unwavering dedication to quality, they were able to once again provide tremendous value for seafood consumers, and a vital economic foundation for Maine’s coastal communities.”

Lobsters account for nearly 80 percent of the ex-vessel value, hauling in $405,983,832 worth of lobsters to Maine ports. DMR Commissioner Patrick Keliher noted a 5 percent decline in lobster landings by pound compared to 2019. Nonetheless, the 96-million-pound catch was the ninth highest in Maine’s history. A higher than usual boat price of $4.20 per pound — compared to the $3.76 average — helped bring up the ex-vessel landing value for 2020.

The elver fishery, which saw dealer prices drop 75 percent to just over $500 per pound, still netted $5,067,521 for harvesters.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

Maine wants lobstermen to move gear from wind power cable survey route

March 24, 2021 — Acting on direction from Gov. Janet Mills, Maine’s marine resources commissioner on Wednesday asked captains who fish along a planned wind turbine cable survey route to voluntarily haul their gear, or he would have to tell the Marine Patrol to move it out of the way.

In a notice addressed to “Lobster harvesters who fish in or near the Monhegan survey route,” Pat Keliher sympathized with fishermen upset about the prospects of floating offshore wind  projects coming to the Gulf of Maine. And he told them that a gear count done over the past day by the Marine Patrol found far fewer buoys in the survey path than a survey vessel had reported.

But there’s still too much gear inside the route for the survey vessel to do its work, Keliher said, noting that it was in everyone’s interest to complete the survey to determine if  the cable can be buried. He asked fishermen to cooperate and remove any remaining gear for the next two weeks.

“The developer has committed to working with the department to ensure that fishing will be allowed around and over the cable route,” Keliher wrote to the lobstermen. “I hope that we can find a way forward to complete this survey and achieve that goal.”

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald