US Wind has agreed to provide USD 20 million (EUR 17.8 million) in compensation to commercial fishers and related businesses in the U.S. states of Maryland or Delaware who have been impacted by the development of wind power off the coast of Maryland.
In 2014, US Wind secured an 80,000-acre federal lease area in the Atlantic Ocean, with plans to build a wind energy facility just over 11 miles off the shores of Ocean City, Maryland. As part of securing a lease, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) determined that wind energy developers must compensate the commercial fishing sector for any potential lost revenue caused by construction.
Now, US Wind has secured memoranda of understanding with the state governments of both Maryland and Delaware to establish compensation funds for their respective commercial fishing sectors. According to US Wind, the USD 20 million included between the agreements with each state is greater than what is required in compensation by BOEM.
“This proposal – one of the biggest investments in commercial fishing in the region – demonstrates our commitment to the fishing industry and the local community in which we’ll operate,” US Wind CEO Jeffrey Grybowski said in a statement. “The funding will provide direct support to commercial and charter fishermen, grants for local businesses, and support for harbor maintenance and infrastructure. We’re looking forward to continuing our work with local fishermen and the states of Maryland and Delaware to finalize this unprecedented agreement.”
The Maryland Fishing Community Resilience Fund includes USD 13.5 million (EUR 12 million), which will provide for grants for fishing businesses offering offloading of catch and ice services, 30 years’ worth of funding for maintenance of West Ocean City Harbor, and funds for “gear development, marketing of local seafood, fishing business development, and incentives for new commercial fishermen.”
“Maryland recognizes the cultural and economic value of our oceangoing commercial and charter fishing industries,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said in a statement. “This agreement works to balance our need to develop reliable and clean domestic energy sources with our desire to support the state’s seafood industry and commercial fishing operations.”
US Wind also agreed to reduce the planned footprint of its Operations and Maintenance facility in the West Ocean City Harbor.
In Delaware, the Multi-Use Fishing Community Resilience Fund will provide funding for fishing-related research.
“As Delaware charts a course toward cleaner energy, we’re equally committed to looking out for our commercial fishers,” Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Greg Patterson said. “This MOU represents a balance: advancing needed energy generation while taking meaningful steps to protect fishing livelihoods and strengthen coastal resilience.”
US Wind will also provide a USD 5.4 million (EUR 4.8 million) compensation program for commercial and for-hire recreational fishermen who can show how US Wind projects impacted their fisheries business. Another USD 1 million (EUR 886,546) will be provided to upgrade navigation safety equipment and conduct safety training for vessels operating in the vicinity of the windfarms.
Source - https://www.seafoodsource.com
