Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Broken Vineyard Wind Turbine Blade Scatters Debris on Nantucket

July 16, 2024 — A Vineyard Wind turbine blade broke over the weekend, scattering debris into the Atlantic and prompting an investigation by the manufacturer and federal officials.

The offshore wind energy company, which is in the middle of constructing a 62-turbine wind farm about 14 miles south of the Vineyard, said a 107-meter blade broke on Saturday about 20 meters from the root, but was largely still attached to the turbine.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is investigating the incident and said Monday that operations at the wind farm are shut down until further notice.

The malfunction is a setback for the Vineyard Wind, the first approved and currently largest offshore wind energy project in the country.

Read the full article at the Vineyard Gazette

MASSACHUSETTS: Inside look at the plans for State Pier

July 16, 2024 — A marine industrial hub. A “boat-to-table” restaurant. A public fish auction hosting culinary seafood experiences.

These are just a few of the proposals submitted in May to MassDevelopment to redevelop a central but “underutilized” strip of New Bedford’s waterfront: the State Pier. After many false starts and a bitter power struggle between state and city politicians, each side has expressed relief that the long-awaited overhaul is moving forward.

“I want to salute the business community for mobilizing to shake up the static condition of that pier,” Mayor Jon Mitchell said, speaking in May at a gathering for businesses to present their development proposals to MassDevelopment, state legislators and the public. “You have the city and the port authority’s full support on this.”

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: The Codfather’s 2nd act: ‘I’m the bank now’

July 10, 2024 — Carlos Rafael made an offer the bank couldn’t refuse.

It was February 2021, and Rafael, the infamous New Bedford fishing mogul known as “the Codfather,” was serving out the final stretch of an almost four-year prison sentence. He and his two daughters placed a $770,000 bid to acquire the Merchants National Bank building in downtown New Bedford.

The historic sandstone building with tall, arched windows and an ornate ceiling no longer functions as a commercial bank. It’s vacant, and there is no money locked behind its heavy, iron vaults. But for the 71-year-old Rafael — flush with more than $70 million in cash from the court-mandated sale of his fleet and barred from ever again involving himself in the commercial fishing industry — acquiring the bank set the stage for a second act.

Three years after his release from prison, Rafael, still banned from owning fishing vessels, has embarked on a different business venture: a multimillion-dollar real estate financing operation sprawling across New Bedford and its suburbs.

“I’m the bank now,” Rafael said in a recent interview, leaning back in his dark leather office chair in his South End industrial warehouse. The wall behind him was adorned with paintings of Catholic saints, multiple sketches of Tony Montana (Al Pacino’s gangster protagonist in “Scarface”) and a sea-green miniature replica of one of the three-dozen fishing vessels once part of his fabled fleet.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: Wind Projects Make Headway

July 9, 2024 — Offshore wind energy projects continue to progress in the waters south of the Vineyard, with two new wind farms approved and construction starting on a third.

Revolution Wind reported “steel-in-the-water” in an area about 12 miles southwest of Aquinnah. This project was approved last August by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Headed by Orsted and Eversource, the wind farm is planned to have up to 65 turbines and generate power for Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The company estimated it would start operating the project in 2025. The turbines will be visible from Aquinnah and the town will receive mitigation money.

Revolution Wind will be joined by New England Wind and Sunrise Wind, a pair of projects that recently were approved by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Read the full article at the Vineyard Gazette

MASSACHUSETTS: New England Wind bid now has federal approval. What could that mean for New Bedford?

July 8, 2024 — Avangrid, Inc. — one of the entities connected to the offshore wind farm project known as Vineyard Wind 1 — announced this week that its Construction and Operations Plan, or COP, for the New England Wind 1 and 2 offshore projects now has “full federal approval.” If one or both are selected to move forward, Avangrid has plans to bring an industry-first to New Bedford, according to the company.

In its announcement, Avangrid, Inc. called the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s approval “a critical milestone” that “largely completes the federal, state, and local permitting process for Avangrid’s 791 Megawatt New England Wind 1 project.” New England Wind 2 is contingent upon a version of the plans in which New England Wind 1 also moves forward. Another version accounts for New England Wind 1 moving forward alone. Decisions on proposals for the next round of wind projects involving Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut should be made by state officials sometime in August, according to Avangrid’s release.

“New England Wind 1 is the only project in the solicitation that has all federal, state, and local permits; the ability to start construction in 2025; and deliver power by 2029,” the release reads.

Read the full article at The Standard-Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Mayor Jon Mitchell responds to work being halted on Northern Edge scalloping grounds

July 3, 2024 — The New England Fishery Management Council has decided to halt work on opening the Northern Edge scalloping grounds to commercial fishermen.

Back in April, Mayor Jon Mitchell before the board in Mystic, Conn. and said that making these areas available would benefit the industry greatly, to create a “key new source of scallops.”

“While there are multiple species that are harvested by New Bedford fishing vessels, scallops are the prime drivers of economic activity within the Port of New Bedford,” he said.

“The fishermen of New Bedford know this, and they take great care in maintaining the resource and recognize the strategic long-term importance of managing the biomass,” he continued.

Read the full article at ABC 6

MASSACHUSETTS: Statement from New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell on NEFMC decision on Northern Edge

July 3, 2024 — The following statement was released by New Bedford, Massachusetts Mayor Jon Mitchell:

“I am disappointed by the New England Fishery Management Council’s decision last week after scant public notice to reverse itself and halt further discussion of the opening of the Northern Edge scallop access area. The decision comes less than three months after the Council voted to advance the opening of the Northern Edge, which was grounded in more than a decade of research showing that scallops are abundant in the area. Halting work on the Northern Edge so abruptly is an affront to scallop fishermen who were given every reason to believe that the council was working toward a fair, long-term solution.”

MASSACHUSETTS: A million acres of ocean for offshore wind: ‘Wow, that’s awfully close to Cape Cod.’

July 1, 2024 — As a July 1 deadline approached for comments to be submitted to the federal government regarding a proposal to auction offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine — including off the outermost Cape towns — the region’s leaders wanted more time to weigh in.

The Cape & Islands Municipal Leaders Association, an organization of 105 elected officials representing all 22 towns on the Cape, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, has sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management requesting to extend the deadline to July 22.

BOEM opened the public comment period on the proposed sale notice for leases on May 1, a day after announcing its plan for first-time ever offering of nearly a million ocean acres in the Gulf of Maine for offshore wind production.

“This comment period extension will allow for additional public meetings to address comments and concerns and provide for a more streamlined permitting, construction and operation of what is likely the most significant investment in energy facilities ever to be made,” the association’s June 25 letter reads.

Read the full article at Yahoo News!

 

MASSACHUSETTS: As new wind lease areas are eyed off Cape Cod, leaders seek ‘a seat at the table’

June 28, 2028 —  Three ocean areas east of Cape Cod may be some of the next marine real estate to be auctioned for offshore wind energy production, with some turbines possibly distantly visible, in very clear conditions, from the Atlantic Ocean bluffs in Truro.

Located due east of Wellfleet and Truro, the areas total 363,305 acres starting about 24 miles offshore and stretching eastward. They are among eight potential lease areas — adding up to nearly a million acres — that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has delineated for offshore wind projects off the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

In anticipation of the sale, local legislators are working to ensure the outermost Cape towns are part of the discussion and residents are kept well-informed. The federal government is also gathering public comments.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

Ten Vineyard Wind turbines operating; Sunrise Wind construction approved

June 27, 2024 — The Vineyard Wind 1 project off southern New England now has 10 turbines in operation and is on track to soon install the 22nd turbine on the first utility-scale offshore wind project in U.S. waters, developer Avangrid Inc. said Tuesday.

“With 10 turbines now in operation, Avangrid is delivering enough clean energy to power more than 60,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “Our Vineyard Wind 1 project continues to demonstrate the significant benefits that offshore wind offers the New England region, delivering well-paying union jobs, local investment, and clean energy that is helping Massachusetts meet its growing demand for electricity.”

With a nameplate rating of 136 megawatts the 10 turbines are the leading edge of the project with 47 foundations and transition pieces and 21 turbines already installed toward the total of 62 generators. When complete the project will be rated at 806 MW.

Read the full article at WorkBoat