A group of fishermen gathered in protest on Sunday, taking to the seas to voice their concerns over the effects of offshore wind developments on fish stocks and ocean navigation. The demonstration was sparked by a recent turbine failure at the Vineyard Wind development off the coast of Massachusetts, which resulted in the spill of toxic debris including styrofoam and fiberglass onto the pristine beaches of Nantucket.
According to Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) and captain of the fishing vessel Teresa Marie, the failure of the Vineyard Wind turbine was a major setback for the project, which was touted as one of the premier offshore wind locations in the country. “Now the government is spending billions of dollars in taxpayer money for an experimental, floating offshore wind facility in Maine while openly admitting they have access to limited data on the effects it’ll have on sustainability,” Leeman told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The fishermen at the protest came from all along the East Coast, including Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. They expressed unanimous concerns over the spread of offshore wind technology along the coast and the lack of answers from government and industry officials regarding its impact on their livelihoods.
Among the fishermen impacted by the Vineyard Wind debris is Nantucket lobsterman Dan Pronk, who noted the harmful effects of the spilled material on his business at a town hall meeting. “I could probably see 40 or 50 pieces [of debris]…I made my living down there [by the Vineyard Wind turbines] for the last 25 years. Now I don’t put my gear anywhere near them. I don’t want to have to look at them,” Pronk said.
Aside from posing a threat to fish stocks and the environment, offshore wind also presents a safety hazard for fishermen, as highlighted by Leeman. During the protest, he and other captains emphasized the danger of navigating near the wind farms, especially in adverse weather conditions.
The offshore wind industry also faces legal concerns as many key players, such as Danish integrated energy company Ørsted, Norwegian petroleum and renewables company Equinor, and Vineyard Wind co-owner Avangrid, a majority-owned by Spanish utility company Iberdrola, have a foreign origin. According to Leeman, this raises questions over the legality of the projects, as the U.S. has exclusive rights over the use of marine resources within 200 nautical miles from its coast.
🦞Nantucket lobsterman Dan Pronk, staring down the Vineyard Wind CEO, says
"I fish 800 lobster traps right where you're putting these tombstones, which is also the end of my business." pic.twitter.com/T9xqjjI0T4
— Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) July 17, 2024
Tim Barret, a Massachusetts fisherman with over 45 years of experience in the commercial fishing industry, also expressed his frustration over the influence of large foreign corporations on U.S. marine resources through the offshore wind industry. “We’ve been steamrolled. America as a whole has been steamrolled,” Barret told the DCNF.
Aside from the impact on fishermen, offshore wind also poses a threat to national food security. “There needs to be thriving U.S. producers of food providing secure, unadulterated product,” Barret remarked. Currently, the U.S. imports a majority of its seafood from foreign countries, with China being the largest importer of seafood to the U.S.
Despite the Biden administration’s goal of having offshore wind supply electricity for 10 million American homes by 2030 and providing billions of dollars in subsidies, the industry has faced numerous setbacks and cancellations of projects. Additionally, states like New York have acknowledged they will not meet their renewable energy goals due to the high costs and lack of support from regulators.
It is evident that the offshore wind industry is causing significant harm to fishermen’s livelihoods, the environment, and U.S. food security. Government officials, particularly those from the Democratic party, need to reassess their support for this industry and prioritize the needs and concerns of American fishermen and citizens. The future of America’s marine resources and food security should not be gambled away for the sake of experimental and foreign-owned offshore wind projects.