Impact Policy

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Avoidance

Some proposed non-fishing ocean developments can potentially cause negative impacts to the ocean environment, fishing grounds access, and fishing community viability, both in the short and long term, these projects should not be permitted. Other proposed projects may require explicitly seasonal/ spatial restrictions stated and enforced in the permitting and operations process.

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Minimization

Minimization of impacts from non-fishing ocean development may require both seasonal restrictions of operation, and reconfiguring/relocation of proposed projects sites both “at sea” and in port or harbor areas. Direct and continual communications between the fishing fleet and developers are critical for minimizing impacts.

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Mitigation

Fishing ground loss, displacement and crowding of fishing efforts, harbor access, port fishing infrastructure loss, declining fishing permit values due to impacts, just to name a few, will require yearly, developer supplied, mitigation funding for the lifetime of the project. This funding will be employed over time to provide long term resiliency for the fishing industry to offset the loss of the sustainably harvested seafood resources lost to various ocean industrialization projects.

Impacts on Fishermen

The planning, installation, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind development has a direct, negative, and long-lasting impact on the livelihood of fishing communities.

Impacts on the Ocean Environment

Even renewable energy extracts resources from our environment and the components required to harness the wind will impact our oceans and marine life.

Impacts on our Local Economies

Offshore wind developers are making big promises about the economic impacts these projects will have on our local economy. What they aren’t mentioning is the very real uncertainties and likely collateral damage to other industries that contribute to our local economy.