U.S. Learns from UK about Offshore Wind Impact on Fishery

During this week’s meeting in Montauk, New York, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will host a public listening session on offshore wind power in the United Kingdom.

The listening session will be held today, April 9 from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will also be accessible via webinar. Guest speaker will be Tom Watson, Fishery Liaison Officer for DONG Energy, the largest European offshore wind power developer.

Tom Watson is an experienced mariner with 45-year career as a fishing trawler captain and fishing industry representative. In his current position, he is responsible for managing the activities of more than 270 large and medium sized vessels fishing in and around seven wind farms in the Eastern Irish Sea.

During the listening session, Watson will share his experiences and lessons learned from his work to mitigate navigational hazards, ensure fisheries’ access during construction and operational phases, and increase fishing industry role in data collection around wind farms. His visit to US ports is sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.

In 2014, three individuals from the United Kingdom participated in the Council’s workshop on Best Management Practices for Offshore Wind Development.

Press release, April 9, 2014; Image: seakeeper