Celtic Sea offshore wind and commercial fisheries

Fisheries and the Celtic Sea

The name ‘Celtic Sea’ itself may have first been proposed at a fisheries conference in the 1920s or ’30s. This is a busy, well-established area for commercial fishing and home to some heavily regulated fishing methods. (For example, the closure of the Trevose cod box was established in 2006 to protect stocks in one of Europe's most important cod spawning areas.) 

The region is unsuitable for fixed foundation offshore wind and so is set to develop floating wind projects, which have different considerations. Floating turbines use cables, anchors and protective features such as rock armour, requiring new boundaries to ensure the safety of fishers and other maritime operators and recreational users. Learn more about floating offshore wind and commercial fishing here.

The current seabed leasing round, Round 5, also follows others in Scotland and England, meaning that possible impacts from development are already being discussed elsewhere. In parts of the fishing industry, this may signal increased reticence towards offshore wind. Therefore, it’s very important that project developers engage early with stakeholders – ensuring that they receive the right information at the right time. 

5 tips for Celtic Sea stakeholder engagement

As fisheries consultants, we are keen to see effective interactions in this new offshore wind area. We have long experience in the South-West, as well as a combined 60 years of other local and national fisheries regulatory experience. Based on what we’ve learnt during our careers, here are some of the insights we believe will support developers in the Celtic Sea.

1) Get time on your side

Getting stakeholders involved in discussions can avoid issues later on – but failing to do so can make people feel like planning details are a “done deal”. It’s important to start the process early, before development decisions get made. That means stakeholder engagement should begin on Day One.

Remember that for any potential change, it’s natural that a period of adjustment will be needed. This is especially relevant with established routines, such as the use of certain ports or ‘traditional’ fishing grounds.

2) Beware of engagement fatigue

Fishers receive many separate communications from environmental and local government bodies (e.g. MMO, local IFCAs). Adding to this with piecemeal engagement means it could easily be missed, forgotten or ignored. Some Celtic Sea fishers will be based outside the local area, so they could be even harder to reach. Effective communication means knowing how and where to contact stakeholders, and most importantly, how they prefer to interact.
 
3) Tailor the message to the audience
 
Developers need to understand the nature of fishing activity in their project area and around it. Otherwise, engagement won’t be tailored to stakeholders’ actual concerns. Your message should be co-ordinated and consistent – clear, not confusing. Keeping it relevant relies on knowledge of the local fishing industry and fishing roles.
 
4) Data-led decision-making

To get a true picture of Celtic Sea activity – and how it changes throughout the year – it’s vital to consult accurate data. Your project will need to sense check engagement, planning, in-combination effects and other decisions against this information. Note that it’s now more difficult to access EU data, including vessel tracking and landings data. Developers may need to allow additional time to access this important data.
 
5) Recognise the impact of other legislative changes
 
The industry will also be affected by a raft of fisheries and marine conservation legislation unrelated to offshore development, such as fishing quotas and marine protected areas. The Celtic Sea’s non-UK fishers are also affected: the post-Brexit Withdrawal Agreement allows them to continue to fish in this region, but this may come up for renegotiation.
 
Some of the Celtic Sea’s fishing legislation is a moving picture but some will stay in force for decades. Therefore, fishers will be looking for effective recognition of any restrictions.

Commercial Fisheries support for Celtic Sea offshore wind

Tetra Tech RPS Energy is one of the few consultancies to provide commercial fisheries services in-house. This enables us to provide efficient support with fewer delays, and to work alongside in-house specialists in related topics such as marine ecology and marine mammal mitigation.

Our fisheries team’s backgrounds include fisheries investigations and analysis; we take a robust, evidence-based approach. We are also highly experienced in stakeholder engagement, communicating with industry leaders as well as individual skippers and maintaining strong relationships and networks. We also have a wealth of experience in the Celtic Sea area.

If you would like to contact us with a question about fisheries or stakeholder relationships, please complete the form below.