Saving Seafood

RODA, federal agencies issue ‘synthesis’ report on fisheries and offshore wind

April 2, 2023 — A sweeping new report compiled in partnership between the commercial fishing industry and federal agencies summarizes massive changes that offshore wind development could bring to U.S. fisheries and ocean environment.

At 388 pages, the “Synthesis of the Science” report covers what is known so far about the likely effects of building potentially thousands of wind turbines off the U.S. coasts.

The topics are wide-ranging: how fishermen may be displaced from traditional fishing grounds, if electromagnetic fields around power cables can change fish behavior, and how turbines could alter oceanographic conditions.

But what’s most striking about the paper is its descriptions of data gaps and needs for much more research, even as the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and state governments press forward with wind power planning.

One typical passage sums up how development plans for offshore wind – abbreviated as OSW in the parlance of planners – are outracing the state of ocean science:

“The recommendations indicate an enormous amount of research is still needed in order to understand the impact of OSW on our environment and fisheries, but time is limited. A timely, productive regional science plan for offshore wind could have resulted in an enhanced ability to understand the environmental interactions resulting from the first large-scale OSW projects, especially on a cumulative scale.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NEW JERSEY: Van Drew hearing pushes back against offshore wind

April 2, 2o23 — Offshore wind came under congressional scrutiny March 16 when Rep. Jeff Van Drew hosted a field hearing in front of an overflow crowd at the Wildwood Convention Center.

Four Republican members of the House of Representatives heard from six experts, all of whom were critical of the offshore wind farms being developed in three lease areas off the New Jersey coast by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy.

The hearing was an effort to “develop a legislative solution for the disruptive effect of offshore wind,” Van Drew said.

Marine mammal deaths continue to be the catalyst for offshore wind opposition. Since early December, nine whales have been found dead or dying on New Jersey beaches. Other cetaceans, including porpoises and dolphins, have also been washing ashore at an alarming rate. Counting eight dolphins that stranded on the Sea Isle City beach March 21, that number has reached a combined 23 dead porpoises and dolphins since December according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

Although no official cause of death for the whales has been announced, concerns have been growing that they are connected to sonar mapping of the ocean floor being done in preparation for the construction of the Ocean Wind 1, Ocean Wind 2, and Atlantic Shores offshore wind projects.

Testimony by panelists depicted offshore wind as a threat to more than sea mammals. Tourism, commercial fishing, maritime safety and household budgets are all at risk, according to critics.

“If offshore wind industrialization moves forward, it will be the most profound transformation of the Atlantic coast in the history of the United States of America,” said Van Drew, who has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a moratorium on offshore wind until answers to the whale death mystery can be found.

Rep. Chris Smith, from New Jersey’s 4th District (Monmouth and Ocean counties), has introduced a bill in the House seeking an investigation into the environmental approval process for offshore wind projects.

“Like the canary in the coal mine, the recent spate of tragic whale deaths has brought new light and increased scrutiny to the fast tracking of thousands of wind turbines off our coast,” Smith said. He called the wind farm approval process “shotty at best.”

Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, agreed that something isn’t right.

“This is too much too fast and in a word simply reckless,” Zipf said. “Marine life is being placed at grave risk without scientific due diligence monitoring and protection to ensure the ocean survives this massive industrialization.”

Despite the magnitude of New Jersey’s offshore wind program, the public, especially those from communities most directly affected, feel like they have no say according to Van Drew, who chaired the meeting.

“From communities to stakeholders, it is hard to find a group that feels as though their thoughts and suggestions have been properly examined and/or addressed by ocean wind companies,” the congressman said.

Van Drew said Orsted, the Danish company which is building Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2, was given the opportunity to appear at the hearing, but declined, instead submitting a letter that alludes to what they have already put into the public record.

Read the full article at Shore Local News

RODA, NOAA, and BOEM Release Groundbreaking Report Synthesizing Scientific and Fishing Industry Knowledge on Fishing and Offshore Wind Energy Interactions

March 30, 2023 — The following was released by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance:

In 2020, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) convened a first-of-its-kind workshop to evaluate the current state of science relevant to fisheries and offshore wind energy interactions. The final peer-reviewed report of the workshop is now available.

The “Synthesis of the Science” project was a key first step toward jointly building a regional fisheries and offshore science agenda. RODA brought together fishermen, fishing industry representatives, federal and state agency experts, wind energy developers, academics, and other prominent scientists from the U.S. and Europe to attend the workshop and contribute to the report.

This report enhances understanding of existing science and data gaps related to offshore wind energy development interactions with fish and fisheries on regional and broader levels. Ecological knowledge of the fishing industry participants was incorporated into all of the report topics covering:

  • Ecosystem effects – including interactions with benthic habitat, physical habitat, oceanographic processes, and ecosystem synthesis by species groupings;
     
  • Fisheries socioeconomics – covering fisheries operations, economics, and sociocultural effects throughout the fishing industry and dependent communities;
     
  • Fisheries management and data collection – incorporating effects to resource surveys and governance processes;
     
  • Methods and approaches – including addressing cumulative impacts, use of Integrated Ecosystem Assessments and innovative approaches and technologies; and
     
  • Regional science planning – highlighting fishing industry-identified research priorities.

Funded by NOAA Fisheries’ Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the symposium and report advance a memorandum of understanding between RODA, NOAA Fisheries, and BOEM. Signed in March 2019, this ten-year MOU promotes collaboration on the science, research, monitoring, and process of offshore wind energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

In 2021, RODA received additional funds through this grant for a second synthesis of the science project. It is currently underway, and focuses on fisheries and floating offshore wind platforms. The project consists of a summary of current knowledge, research, and monitoring associated with floating technology, a workshop focused on floating turbine technology, and a review by the fishing industry of existing mapping efforts of fishermen’s data.

4 lawsuits threaten Vineyard Wind

March 29, 2023 — The lawsuits against America’s first major offshore wind project are coming to a head.

Four cases are challenging the federal environmental permit issued to Vineyard Wind, a 62-turbine facility being planned for construction in the waters off Martha’s Vineyard. A federal judge in Massachusetts heard arguments brought by landowners in two cases in recent weeks. The other two suits, brought by fishing groups, have been consolidated and will appear before the same judge for oral arguments in Boston on Monday.

The cases against Vineyard Wind allege that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted an inadequate environmental review when it approved the project by failing to account for its impact on everything from fishermen to the critically endangered North American right whale.

The stakes are high. The Biden administration is betting that Vineyard Wind will begin an energy revolution in the United States by generating large amounts of carbon-free electricity needed to slash emissions and power the Northeast. Massachusetts utilities signed a contract to buy the project’s power to boost renewables in the state and cut emissions.

But the project has encountered resistance from a landowners group on Nantucket, a renewable energy developer with a house on Martha’s Vineyard and groups of fishermen who contend the turbines will irreversibly damage the ocean. The dispute has even attracted a prominent conservative think tank with a history of supporting fossil fuels.

“The administration has put all their political capital on offshore wind and is breaking all the rules in order to do it,” said Robert Henneke, executive director and general counsel for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which is representing fishing interests in one case. Henneke claimed that the Biden administration is guilty of hypocrisy, saying the government is relaxing endangered species requirements for offshore wind even as it imposes stringent regulations on other industries.

“The administration’s violation of the [Endangered Species Act] should be a complete bar to the whole project,” he said.

A BOEM spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, and an official with Vineyard Wind declined to comment.

Read the full article at E&E News

EXCLUSIVE: Federal Regulator Acknowledges Danger To Wildlife Caused By Offshore Wind Farms

March 27, 2023 — The federally-chartered regulator responsible for managing fisheries in the oceans of New England acknowledged that offshore wind farms could pose a threat to the local marine wildlife, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Thomas Nies, executive director of the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), noted the “concerning implications” of a study by researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, which found that the high voltage direct current (HVDC) power cables used by some offshore wind farms emitted magnetic fields that could hinder the ability of haddock larvae to navigate, according to a January 18 letter obtained by the DCNF. The negative impact on both the haddocks’ speed and ability to navigate could result in increased “predation” of affected fish.

Offshore wind farms typically utilize one of two cables to transport power back to shore, known as high voltage alternating current (HVAC) and HVDC, with the former preferred for short-range projects within roughly 30 miles of shore and the latter preferred for more long-range projects, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Multiple recent studies have demonstrated that a variety of commercially popular fish can be negatively impacted by their exposure to magnetic fields emitted by HVDCs, which can confuse their ability to navigate and in some cases leave them exposed to predators.

Read the full article at the The Daily Caller

MAINE: Winds of Change, Pt. 2: Maine fishermen share concerns with proposed offshore wind farms

March 26, 2023 — Earlier this week, we looked into incoming offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine from the economic and energy perspective.

But the Gulf is also a workplace for thousands of Maine fishermen whose business might be impacted by these floating turbines.

They share their biggest concerns with the “Winds of Change” in part two of this special report.

“I don’t think we own the Gulf of Maine,” lobsterman Stephen Train said. “But, we’ve been using it for so long, we have trouble with the concept of displacement, and it’s justified. We’ve been the caretakers. We’ve been harvesting a very successful resource, or multiple resources, out of this gulf managed very well for a long time.”

Thousands of lobstermen generations deep have used the fertile waters of the Gulf of Maine to make their living. But many today fear that offshore wind may just blow them out of the water.

Read the full article at WABI

MASSACHUSETTS: Offshore wind in New Bedford: A guide to what you need to know

March 26, 2023 — An already busy port of New Bedford will be even busier when the full effect of the offshore wind industry hits.

A direct impact on the New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor is already being felt, and seen, most recently with the demolition of the former Eversource plant chimney to make way for the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal on the New Bedford waterfront.

With Massachusetts preparing for a fourth round of funding for offshore wind projects, what comes next?

Offshore wind companies, electric companies and local leaders from Greater New Bedford have weighed in on changes that should be made to the process during this next round. Vineyard Wind was the winning bidder in the first round, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC won the second round, and Commonwealth Wind and Mayflower Wind LLC were the winning bids in the third round. Massachusetts is preparing for bid submissions for a fourth round of offshore wind contracts.

Read the full article at SouthCoastToday

MASSACHUSETTS: SouthCoast Wind Environmental Report Draws Divergent Views

March 26, 2023 — Falmouth residents joined others from across Massachusetts in a lively expression of their frustrations and hopes for SouthCoast Wind’s proposed offshore wind farm during a virtual public comment session on the project’s draft environmental impact statement.

Work on the nearly 2,000-page impact statement, prepared by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), began in November 2021.

BOEM’s SouthCoast project coordinator Genevieve Brune presented the statement’s findings to the 71 participants at the session, held online Monday, March 20. The evaluation is required under the National Environmental Policy Act and will guide permitting judgements by state and federal authorities, including the Army Corps of Engineers.

Read the full article at The Enterprise 

NEW JERSEY: Van Drew holds hearing on wind farm, calls it collusion of big government and industry

March 23, 2023 — Billed as a “hearing on offshore wind industrialization along the East Coast,” an event March 16 at the Wildwoods Convention Center included Congress members from two states, environmental organizations and representatives of the commercial fishing industry all speaking out against wind farm projects planned off the coast.

U.S. Rep. Van Drew (R-2nd) called it the launch of a congressional investigation into offshore wind aimed at developing a comprehensive legislative solution for what he characterized as the disruptive effects of offshore wind.

“If offshore wind industrialization moves forward, it will be the most profound transformation of the Atlantic coast in the history of the United States of America,” said Van Drew, who long represented the region as a Democrat in local, county and state offices.

Developers want to build thousands of “Eiffel Tower-sized turbines” that will line the horizon for decades, Van Drew said, adding that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has engaged in a rushed and sloppy approval process.

“The truth is our government is acting more in the interest of the rich and powerful than the interest of the people of America,” he said.

The dentist said neither the federal government nor the wind turbine companies have been responsive to the local community. He said Ørsted, the Danish wind-energy company behind the Ocean Wind 1 project, rejected an invitation to participate in the event.

The wind projects are a case of big government joining with big companies, “colluding together,” Van Drew said.

Ørsted did not interact with local communities or members of the fishing and tourism industries, he said.

Van Drew said Congress must step in because offshore wind companies, the administration of President Joe Biden and that of Gov. Phil Murphy refused to share the facts with the American people.

He said the wind project area is massive and that nearly 2 million acres have been leased in the Atlantic Ocean. He said the projects would require hundreds of miles of seafloor dredging to bury power transmission cables.

Van Drew called the projects a wealth transfer from American taxpayers and rate payers into the pockets of wealthy energy industrialists “who aren’t even in America.”

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) said driving piles into the seabed would generate catastrophic noise levels for sea life during the construction phase. He also said the turbines would fall like dominos during a Category 3 or stronger hurricane.

Radar used by the U.S. Coast Guard would be compromised by the wind turbines, Smith said, adding a 2022 report from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine stated the towers would interfere with marine vessel radar.

Smith said he introduced legislation to get the General Accountability Office to produce an overview of how poorly environmental reviews have been conducted for the wind projects.

Attendance was limited to 400 persons due to fire safety rules, which led to chants of “let us in” from the lobby from those who were not admitted to the meeting room.

Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, said her organization is open to the idea of some offshore wind but only if a pilot program proved successful and the science was available to support industrial-scale power plants while protecting the ocean.

She said according to the National Marine Fisheries Service, by 2030, offshore wind coverage would involve 3,400 turbines requiring 10,000 miles of cable.

“This is too much, too fast and, in a word, simply reckless,” Zipf said. “Marine life is being placed at great risk without scientific due diligence, monitoring and protection to ensure the ocean survives this massive industrialization.”

Read the full article at Ocean City Sentinel 

NEW JERSEY: Congressman Slams Biden, Murphy For ‘Shoddy’ Offshore Wind Farm Strategy In New Jersey

March 23, 2023 — U.S. Congressman Chris Smith attended a hearing on offshore windarms in New Jersey and slammed President Joe Biden and Governor Phil Murphy over what he called the harmful environmental impact 3,500 wind turbines could have on the coastal ecosystem.

Smith said the President and governor’s rush to install nearly 3,500 wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey without sufficient study on their impact on the environment, marine mammals, the fishing industry, tourism and navigational safety was reckless.

“The wind farm approval process has been shoddy at best, leaving unaddressed and unanswered numerous serious questions concerning the extraordinarily harmful environmental impact on marine life and the ecosystems that allow all sea creatures great and small to thrive,” Smith said. “Without serious, aggressive, and independent analysis on the ocean-altering impact of these projects, they must be paused.”

Smith cited a Carnegie Mellon study that noted “There is a very substantial risk that Category 3 hurricanes can destroy half or more of the turbines at some locations,” as an example of these issues.

Read the full article at Shore News Network