With future development of offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, federal regulators are beginning to assess how wind farms will affect commercial and recreational fisheries. On Dec. 15, there will be a workshop for GoM fishermen. The input to be gathered will help guide the planning and permitting of wind farm leases, and potentially lead to mitigation for fishers affected by turbines, transmission lines and related infrastructure. East Coast fishermen are concerned that a boom in wind farm construction will make fishing more dangerous. The country's first offshore wind farm, a five-turbine project off Rhode Island, was built with the assistance of Louisiana lift-boat operators in 2016. The Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM), which regulates offshore energy industries, has promised to improve and refine the wind energy leasing process, with greater input from fishers, before leasing begins in the Gulf in 2025. The Dec. 15 workshop is part of that process. BOEM stressed that the workshop is open to the public but attendees who are not fishers or associated with fishing industries are asked to listen only. Workshop registration and other information is available at boem.gov/renewable-energy/fishing-industry-communication-and-engagement.
(Source: NOLA.com 12/04/21)
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