Saving Seafood

‘A lot of people are upset.’ Vineyard Wind compensation offer for fishermen stirs worries

March 20, 2024 — Commercial fishers who are sharing part of their customary fishing waters with Vineyard Wind may be eligible for compensation through the developers’ Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program — one that offers a $19.1 million bucket for Massachusetts fishers to dip into, and a combined $7.5 million for fishers from other states who’ve routinely plied the same area in recent years.

“It’s focused on fishermen who have traditionally fished in the area,” said Crista Bank, fisheries manager for Vineyard Wind.

So, in order to be eligible, fishers will need to show they’ve fished within the project’s lease area forat least three yearsbetween 2016 and 2022.

It’s meant to bring relief to fishers already limited by regulations and allowable catch volumes, though there are many questions among fishermen, as well as criticism that there isn’t enough funding, the eligibility criteria are too limiting, and the program doesn’t take into account the effects fishers who work outside of the lease area may experience.

A joint venture of Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the 804-megawatt Vineyard Wind project is under construction in the shallow waters of the outer continental shelf 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. There are 62 turbines, each a mile apart, planned for the nearly 261-square-mile lease area. Five of them became fully operational on Feb. 21.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

 

Fishermen can now get paid if Vineyard Wind hurts business

March 19, 2o24 — Vineyard Wind is inviting fishermen to apply for compensation if they’ve been impacted by the offshore wind farm 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

Fishermen have 90 days to show they’ve historically used the lease area. A third party administrator — with the help of fishing representatives — will decide how to divide up a $19.1 million pot through the Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program to Massachusetts fishermen.

Rhode Island fishermen will have access to $4.2 million, and $3.3 million will be divided between fishermen in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. The area may have been used by those who target everything from squid, to clams, scallops, lobster and more.

“I feel good about this mitigation fund,” said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “Vineyard Wind is the first offshore wind developer to have steel in federal waters and to come out with their mitigation plan.”

Read the full article at wbur

Wind-farm opponents encouraged after hearing

March 9, 2024 — The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals appears unlikely to overturn the approval of the Vineyard Wind offshore energy project sought by the advocacy group ACK for Whales (formerly Nantucket Residents Against Turbines), according to reporting from courthouse news services that covered a pretrial hearing Tuesday, citing questions the judges asked both sides.

But Amy DiSibio, a member of ACK for Whales who attended the hearing in Boston, had a much different take.

“I did not get that impression at all,” she said. “We left the courtroom feeling as confident as we could be, From what I understand the majority of these appeal cases get settled without a hearing. So, we felt really good that they were taking this seriously enough that they wanted (to hold a hearing).”

Read the full article at The Inquirer and Mirror

Compensation Program For Fishermen Impacted By Vineyard Wind Unveiled

March 7, 2024 — Avangrid is announcing that the Vineyard Wind 1 project has launched its Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program.

Avangrid says the third-party administered program seeks to provide fair, equitable compensation for commercial fishermen for economic impacts attributable to the project’s construction, operations, and decommissioning activities.

There’s a deadline of June 3rd for fishermen to qualify for compensation from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

Read the full article at CapeCod.com

Fishermen can now get paid if Vineyard Wind hurts business

March 6, 2024 — Vineyard Wind is inviting fishermen to apply for compensation if they’ve been impacted by the offshore wind farm 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

Fishermen have 90 days to show they’ve historically used the lease area and a third party administrator — with the help of fishing representatives — will decide how to divide up a $19.1 million pot through the Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program to Massachusetts fishermen.

Rhode Island fishermen will have access to $4.2 million, and $3.3 million will be divided between fishermen in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. The area may have been used by those who target everything from squid, to clams, scallops, lobster, and more.

“I feel good about this mitigation fund,” said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. “Vineyard Wind is the first offshore wind developer to have steel in federal waters and to come out with their mitigation plan.”

Plus, she added, the funds start at construction rather than completion of the wind farm, which is better for fishermen.

“The impact [of Vineyard Wind] will be real because [fishermen] cannot fish in there while they’re constructing it,” she said. “And the ecosystem is being disturbed to a level that they anticipated 100% decline during construction. So if you’re making $50,000 in that lease area, that’s a $50,000 hit you’re going to lose.”

Read the full article at CAI

Feds complete environmental review for New England Wind

February 26, 2024 — Another offshore wind project off the coast of the Vineyard is a step closer to coming to fruition.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced in a Monday press release it has completed an environmental review of the proposed New England Wind project, formerly known as Vineyard Wind South.

The agency will issue a record of decision on whether the project is approved no earlier than April, according to the release.

New England Wind is an offshore wind project proposed to be located 20 nautical miles from the southwestern corner of Martha’s Vineyard and about 24 nautical miles from Nantucket. The project is expected to generate 2,600 megawatts of power, which the release states would be enough to power over 900,000 homes.

Read the full article at The Martha’s Vineyard Times

Rope removed from right whale found washed up on Martha’s Vineyard may be from Maine buoy line, officials say

February 15, 2024 — The rope found embedded in a juvenile North Atlantic right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard on Jan. 28 was consistent with water traps and buoy lines from Maine, federal officials said Wednesday.

NOAA Fisheries said that its analysis of the fishing gear, “including the purple markings on the rope,” found it was consistent with lines used in Maine waters.

The endangered whale, a female, was found near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on the Vineyard, officials said. NOAA Fisheries worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other partners to recover the carcass and conduct a necrop

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Scientists look for clues to right whale death on Martha’s Vineyard. It could take weeks.

February 10, 2024 — For about half her life, the North Atlantic right whale that washed up dead Jan. 28 on a Martha’s Vineyard beach lived with fishing rope wrapped around her tail and flukes, making her existence increasingly difficult and painful as she grew.

A team of more than 20 scientists last week conducted a necropsy on the 3-year-old female whale, looking for clues about her cause of death, which has yet to be determined, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Division. Researchers at the New England Aquarium‘s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life were able to identify her as the 2021 calf of the right whale known as Squilla, the now approximately 17-year-old’s only known calf.

The dead whale is listed in the North Atlantic right whale catalog as #5120 and was last seen alive in Cape Cod Bay in January 2023. Found washed up on Jan. 28 just south of Joseph Sylvia State Beach — a barrier beach along Nantucket Sound between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown — she was moved to Aquinnah for the investigation.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

NOAA cites ‘chronic entanglement’ in death of juvenile right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard

February 7, 2024 — Rope entanglement appears to be a factor in the death of a juvenile North Atlantic right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard on Jan. 28, federal officials said Monday.

NOAA Fisheries said in a statement that the whale “had a chronic entanglement and was seen in poor health before its death. Experts are examining the rope and other samples collected from the whale.”

The deceased whale washed up near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on the Vineyard, officials said. NOAA Fisheries worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other partners to recover the carcass and conduct a necropsy.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Examination Continues into Cause of Whale’s Death on Martha’s Vineyard

February 6, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On January 28, 2024, NOAA Fisheries was notified of a deceased female North Atlantic right whale near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. We worked closely with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Stranding Network partners, and local responders to recover the carcass and conduct a necropsy.

Preliminary observations indicated the presence of rope entangled near the whale’s tail. State law enforcement officials collected some of the rope and turned it over to NOAA’s Office Law Enforcement. It is now being examined by gear experts.

Whale Identified as #5120

Last week, scientists at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life reviewed several images of the dead North Atlantic right whale. They matched it to whale #5120 in the right whale catalog based on clear matching features, such as callosity patterns and markings. This right whale, the only known calf of Squilla (#3720), was born during the 2021 calving season.

Necropsy Confirms Chronic Entanglement

A stranding response team completed the necropsy of North Atlantic right whale #5120 on February 1, 2024. From the necropsy, experts confirmed a chronic entanglement, with rope deeply embedded in the tail, and thin body condition. The necropsy showed no evidence of blunt force trauma. Cause of death is pending further histological and diagnostic testing of collected samples, which can take weeks to complete. We will share more information as it is available.

Large whale experts at the International Fund for Animal Welfare led the necropsy, with the assistance of more than 20 biologists from:

  • Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
  • Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
  • Whale Dolphin Conservation
  • New England Aquarium
  • Center for Coastal Studies
  • Marine Mammals of Maine
  • Virginia Aquarium
  • Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

Previous Entanglements

Aerial survey teams had previously seen right whale #5120 several times with entanglements, including August 2022 and January 2023.

Whale #5120 was last seen in June 2023 by Northeast Fisheries Science Center aerial observers, 60 miles northeast of Shippagan, New Brunswick. She was feeding with other whales. Her overall condition had declined and the wounds from the wraps of rope at the peduncle appeared to be more severe. No trailing line or buoys were seen.

Studies suggest that more than 85 percent of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled at least once. About 60 percent have been entangled multiple times. Entangling rope can cut into a whale’s body, cause serious injuries, and result in infections and mortality. Even if gear is shed or removed through disentanglement efforts, the time spent entangled can severely stress a whale, weaken it, and prevent it from feeding. It can sap the energy it needs to swim, feed, and reproduce.