December 20, 2019 — Selectmen are abandoning a task force looking at offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine, demanding their local fishermen have more direct inclusion.
The board voted unanimously Dec. 6 to send a letter to the New Hampshire Office of Strategic Initiatives announcing it would suspend its participation in the recently formed Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force for the Gulf of Maine.
The task force is charged with considering the various impacts of offshore wind turbines, which are hoped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while producing thousands of jobs across New England. Fishing communities like in Seabrook have expressed strong concerns about the turbines’ impact on the ocean and the fish they harvest for a living.
Seabrook selectmen said they value the fishing heritage in their town where many New Hampshire fishermen dock their boats. They said in their letter to the OSI they wanted fishermen to have a direct seat on the task force, which is comprised of elected officials from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.
“It is our firm belief that due to potential impacts to the fishing industry this task force should have representation from that industry,” selectmen said in a letter to Matthew Mailloux, energy adviser for the OSI. “Without a voice for fishermen we feel that the potential impacts to their livelihood may not be fully understood, or addressed, by this task force, as currently constituted.”