Saving Seafood

New Bedford to host meeting on New York Bight offshore wind

August 4, 2021 — The Port of New Bedford is hosting an in-person meeting for fishermen and industry advocates in the city Aug. 6, with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management officials to discuss the impact of offshore wind development in the New York Bight.

BOEM representatives will attend the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. session virtually, in a follow-up to a July 20 conference call with port officials and the Fisheries Survival Fund that discussed potential dangers for the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast scallop fishery.

Friday’s meeting at the Fairfield Inn and Suites at 185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, Mass., “will highlight fishing industry concerns over offshore wind development, particularly in relation to the valuable scallop fishery, which has helped make New Bedford the nation’s most valuable fishing port for 20 consecutive years,” according to an announcement from the port agency Tuesday.

“We want to focus on every fishery we have in the port,” said Blair Bailey, the port’s general counsel. It’s important to get fishermen together in person, so port officials are getting a meeting room with seats for about 50.

“This is the fishing industry, these people deal in person,” said Bailey. “At this time of year, it’s not easy for these captains to get the time” away from working at sea, he said.

A digital flyer is circulating around the fleet, encouraging attendance at the meeting.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

More endangered right whales using New England wind energy areas

August 4, 2021 — North Atlantic right whales, one of the most endangered species in the world, are spending more time in southern New England waters where immense offshore wind energy installations are to be built.

A new analysis, published in the July 29 edition of the journal Endangered Species Research, shows how measures to protect the whale population – estimated at only around 366 animals – will be crucial if the Biden administration’s drive to develop offshore wind is to succeed.

“We found that right whale use of the region increased during the last decade, and since 2017 whales have been sighted there nearly every month, with large aggregations occurring during the winter and spring,” said Tim Cole, lead of the whale aerial survey team at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and a co-author of the study, in a summary of the findings issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Marine mammal researchers at the New England Aquarium and colleagues at NEFSC and the Center for Coastal Studies examined aerial survey data collected between 2011–2015 and 2017–2019 to quantify right whale distribution, residency, demographics, and movements in the region.

The New England Aquarium used systematic aerial surveys, and NEFSC and the Center for Coastal Studies directed surveys conducted in areas where right whales were present, to document aggregations of right whales. Aerial photographs of individual right whales to help estimate the whales’ abundance and residency times, and the photos identify individual whales by distinctive patches of raised tissue on their head, lips, and chin, and by scars on their body.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Pacific Council News, Summer 2021

August 4, 2021 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

The Council has formed a new advisory body, the ad hoc Marine Planning Committee (MPC), focused on marine planning, which includes offshore wind, aquaculture, and other offshore development activities. The Council formed the group after hearing strong support from its advisory bodies for improving the Council’s capacity to address the effects of offshore activities on fisheries, coastal communities, and habitat. The Council intends for the MPC to provide an open and transparent process to gather industry and stakeholder input and advice on marine planning, and a mechanism to funnel constructive recommendations to the Council.

The MPC met with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and members of the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the public on July 22-23 to discuss offshore wind considerations for each Council-managed fishery. The MPC itself will meet in late August or early September to discuss and potentially develop a report for Council consideration.  Members of the MPC are Darus Peake for the Salmon Advisory Subpanel; Mike Okoniewski for the Coastal Pelagic Species Advisory Subpanel; Mike Conroy for the Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel; Susan Chambers for the Groundfish Advisory Subpanel; Steven Scheiblauer for the Habitat Committee; Scott McMullen for the Ecosystem Advisory Subpanel; Megan Waters in the conservation seat; Chris Potter for California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife; Delia Kelly for Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife;  Corey Niles for Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and Yvonne DeReynier for National Marine Fisheries Service. The appointment for a Tribal seat is pending.

Read the full release here

Zoom Registration for August 6 Meeting on New York Bight Offshore Wind

August 4, 2021 — This Friday, August 6, from 3 to 5 PM, the Port of New Bedford is hosting a joint in-person/virtual meeting with fishermen, industry advocates, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to discuss proposed offshore wind leases in the New York Bight.

Those who are able to attend the meeting in-person are encouraged to do so. Those who are unable to attend in-person are encouraged to join virtually via Zoom. The Zoom registration link is below. Please stay tuned for a detailed agenda in the coming days.

https://cbuilding.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIscOyhqTMtG93NnQLguiGkEE5m_Tlrb4vC

Representatives from BOEM, including director Amanda Lefton, are slated to attend the meeting virtually. The Port of New Bedford will be hosting an in-person gathering at the Fairfield Inn and Suites.

More information on the event is included below.

WHO:
Representatives from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Stakeholders in New England’s Commercial Fishing and Scallop Industry

WHEN:
August 6, 2021 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM

WHERE:
Fairfield Inn and Suites
185 MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, MA
Waypoint Meeting Facility

TIM PLOUFF: Lobstering under attack

August 2, 2021 — A few weeks ago, Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham (R-Winter Harbor) met with several dozen concerned citizens in Ellsworth for updates on Maine’s offshore wind proposals. The man facing that audience was grim-faced, fatigued and struggling for the proper words to express his apparent anxiety.

A husband, a father of three and a longtime lobsterman out of Winter Harbor, Faulkingham, who also serves on the Joint Standing Committee for Marine Resources, has been a strong voice of reason in our Legislature for many efforts at bettering our state, but primarily for working to protect Maine’s lobstering industry.

As Faulkingham described it, three seemingly combined forces are aligned and have put the bull’s-eye on the men and women in Maine whose lives depend on lobstering — whales, warming and wind power.

The right whale protection consortium has heightened its efforts to alter nearly every aspect of Maine’s primary (and most significant) fishing industry by pushing the federal fisheries agencies to limit, reduce and even eliminate the fishing methods currently employed in the local waters and the Gulf of Maine despite several studies indicating negligible right whale incidents within these waters over the last few years. At best, the supposed science is leaning toward saving whales, with little regard for the men and women who are active conservationists every day while doing their jobs.

The warming water folks, often the same groups and agencies that are involved with the right whale restrictions, also want to promote bureaucratic rules that will severely impact all forms of fishing in Maine’s coastal waters.

Read the full opinion piece at the Mount Deseret Islander

Study Reveals Right Whales Use Area Intended for Wind Energy

August 2, 2021 — Areas off the coast of Massachusetts slated for wind energy projects have also shown to be new areas of import for the endangered Right Wales.

Survey data collected over the last decade shows increased number of whales travelling through the Massachusetts and Rhode Island wind energy areas.

Whales were identified by distinctive markings found in aerial photos.

The study showed about a third of the population making significant use of the area.

Reproductive female use of the area is also of high importance as one of the reasons for the declining numbers that the species has faced is a reduction in calving rates.

Read the full story at CapeCod.com

Right Whales Increase Activity in Ocean Waters Slated for Offshore Wind Farms

August 2, 2021 — Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are increasing their presence in waters south of Martha’s Vineyard, according to a recent study, including large swaths of ocean slated for wind energy development.

Conducted by scientists with NOAA Fisheries, the New England Aquarium and the Center for Coastal Studies using aerial survey data from 2011 through 2019, the study found that 327 unique right whales have been spotted in the waters of southern New England, making the area a crucial habitat for a species teetering on the edge of extinction.

Scientists estimate the North Atlantic right whale population at less than 400 total specimens, including approximately 100 breeding females.

Meanwhile, the study comes just as the country’s first industrial-scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind 1, has cleared federal approvals and is scheduled to go online by 2023, jump-starting a nascent offshore wind energy industry that could lead to the construction of hundreds of underwater wind turbines in the region.

According to Vineyard Wind, the project will include 64 turbines approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. Additional leaseholders in the area, including Mayflower Wind and a second Vineyard Wind project, would significantly increase turbine counts.

In the study, scientists noted that the presence of right whales has been sighted in the area south of the Vineyard every month in recent years, with large aggregations occurring during the winter and spring.

Between December and May, almost a quarter of the right whale population may be present in the region, and the individual residence time for whales has increased to 13 days during the period, the study states. Visual and acoustic monitoring, from flight surveys and photography, showed consistent use of the wind energy area by a third of the species, including 30 per cent of breeding females.

Read the full story at the Vineyard Gazette

Offshore Wind Industry Faces Pushback From Commercial Fishing Groups

August 2, 2021 — Wind farms along the Atlantic coast — including offshore Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey — are facing major opposition from commercial fishermen.

Since the Block Island Wind Farm began operating off the coat of Rhode Island in 2016, many commercial fishermen have pushed back against the industry. They claim the turbines are navigational hazards and obstacles to ocean access.

Michael Marchetti, a Rhode Island commercial fisherman, said commercial fishing requires larger areas of space to accommodate fishing gear. He said the turbines are an obstacle to catching fish.

“There’s no way you’re going to build a major series of structures over any large amount of water without impacting commercial fisheries,” he told Zenger.

Marchetti said commercial fishing takes places year-round, in all weather conditions. Even with radar technology, he said, wind turbines can be navigational hazards in the fog and rain.

Jon Grant, a lobsterman based out of Block Island, said most of the commercial fishermen and lobstermen he knows are against offshore wind farms.

Meanwhile, recreational fishermen tend to support the offshore wind industry because the underwater structures act as artificial reefs and attract fish.

Read the full story at The Tennessee Tribune

BOEM Advances Offshore Wind Leasing Process in California

August 2, 2021 — The following was released by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management:

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating nearly 80,000 jobs through developing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced two actions advancing the federal wind leasing process offshore California.

First, BOEM will publish a Call for Information and Nominations (Call) to request information from the public and determine industry interest in commercial offshore wind energy development for two new areas within a 399-square-mile area located off central California, identified as the Morro Bay Call Area East and West Extensions. The new areas are adjacent to the Morro Bay Call Area, originally identified by BOEM in 2018. The extension areas will be included in BOEM’s overall analysis of the Morro Bay 399 Area.

Second, BOEM has formally designated the Humboldt Wind Energy Area (WEA) offshore northern California and will now proceed with an environmental review of this area, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

“Today’s announcement builds on an earlier agreement between the White House, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Defense, and the state of California to advance areas for offshore wind off the northern and central coasts of California,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “If approved for offshore wind energy development, these areas could bring us closer to reaching this administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.”

On May 25, 2021, the Departments of the Interior and Defense and the state of California announced their agreement to advance areas for wind energy development offshore the northern and central coasts of California, enabling a path forward for the Humboldt Call Area and areas within and adjacent to the Morro Bay Call Area.

“While we are still in the initial stages of BOEM’s leasing process, today’s announcement reflects years of working with ocean users, Tribal governments and local, state, and federal agencies to obtain the best available information to reduce potential conflicts,” said BOEM Acting Pacific Region Director Thomas Liu. “The Morro Bay Call and Humboldt Environmental Assessment offer important opportunities to further solicit feedback from Tribes, ocean users and stakeholders.”

In addition to contributing to the goals of the Biden-Harris administration, the development of offshore wind energy can help California reach its goal of 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045, create good-paying union jobs, and foster investments in coastal communities. Offshore wind resources are typically stronger and more consistent than winds over land and are especially strong in the evening hours when solar energy production drops off, ensuring that offshore wind energy can make an important contribution to California’s electric grid.

Morro Bay Call Area – East and West Extensions

The Morro Bay Call Area East Extension and the Morro Bay Call Area West Extension offshore the central California coast consist of approximately 141 square statute miles (90,025 acres).

BOEM will publish the Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Morro Bay, California, East and West Extensions – Call for Information and Nominations in the Federal Register on July 29, 2021, which will initiate a 45-day public comment period. BOEM will accept nominations and comments until September 13, 2021. Additional information on the Call and how to comment can be found at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/morro-bay-call-extension-areas.

Humboldt WEA

BOEM is also designating nearly 132,369 acres (206.8 square miles) as a WEA offshore Humboldt County in northern California. BOEM will conduct an environmental assessment (EA) of the WEA, per NEPA.

The EA will consider potential environmental consequences of site characterization activities (e.g., survey activities and core samples) and site assessment activities (e.g., installation of meteorological buoys) associated with issuing wind energy leases in the WEA. The EA will also consider project easements associated with each potential lease issued, and grants for subsea cable corridors through state tidelands.

As part of BOEM’s scoping process, BOEM is seeking public comments on what should be considered as part of the EA. BOEM also will use these comments as input for its consultation under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Additional information on how to comment can be found at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/humboldt-wind-energy-area.

Biden admin begins review of first N.C. offshore wind farm

July 30, 2021 — The Biden administration is beginning its environmental review of the first offshore wind project proposed off North Carolina, which is in a race to jump-start the industry before a Trump-era moratorium kicks in next year.

The Kitty Hawk offshore wind farm, developed by Avangrid Renewables, would be a 69-turbine wind array off the coast of the state’s Outer Banks. It could power up to 700,000 homes.

The 800-megawatt project would sit roughly 27 miles from North Carolina shores and more than 40 miles from Virginia Beach, where two transmission cables would land to connect with PJM Interconnection’s onshore grid.

An Avangrid analysis of the project forecasts a $2 billion economic impact from the project, much of that in Hampton Roads, the port region in Virginia that will serve as a home base to stand up the project.

The offshore wind farm would serve both Virginia and North Carolina renewable energy targets but is particularly important for North Carolina, where the Trump administration ordered a moratorium on offshore energy leasing shortly before leaving office. That moratorium begins in mid-2022 and lasts for 10 years.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) last month signed an executive order to stand up 8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2040 in the state.

Read the full story at E&E News