Nicola Simpson
Director of Offshore Renewables, EAME; Director of Marine Consenting & Environment, EAME.
Floating offshore wind and commercial fisheries
Floating offshore wind has various stakeholders to consider when developers are working in the marine environment. Our Commercial Fisheries team explain more about the support available to facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes.
30 April 2024 | 5 min read
Supporting interaction: offshore wind developers and fisheries
Tetra Tech RPS Energy's Commercial Fisheries team was set up last year to provide a resource for those involved in offshore development. It acts as a liaison with fisheries, providing support during the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) process and in the subsequent stages of development.
Our team emphasise the importance of communication with stakeholders to provide everyone with accurate, up-to-date information. In this insight, we look at some of the stages when developers and stakeholders are likely to interact during floating offshore wind projects.
Mitigation measures and why they are needed
Different types of offshore development will interact with the marine environment in different ways. Specific to floating offshore wind, here are three factors to be aware of.
Developing different offshore environments
Floating offshore wind farms will be developed in deeper water – moving into a different environment to fixed foundation developments. As a result, the types of fishing activity that occurs could differ from that taking place in shallower water. Projects may also be sited closer to established fisheries.
Fish aggregation
Because they provide shelter, offshore wind turbines can act attract small fish. In effect, they act like a FAD (Fish Aggregation Device). When fish aggregate, bigger predators also arrive. Fishers will be attracted to the FADs and may wish to access these fish stocks, requiring discussion with developers.
Safety
The footprint of a floating offshore wind turbine is different to a fixed turbine because it uses a number of anchors, rather than a fixed foundation. Buoys will be needed to mark out where anchors are. Fixing cables will also prevent fishing inside the anchors as this would be hazardous. To protect fishers, their boats and equipment, and the turbines, cables and anchors, exclusion zones can be necessary; these can be the subject of much discussion regarding their placement.
Factors for developers to consider
At what point should offshore wind and fisheries stakeholders liaise? The answer is that effective communication will support everyone throughout the project, but there are some overarching questions to plan for.
1) Mitigation measures
How will floating offshore wind development interact with fishing activity? As highlighted above, development projects will need effective plans for mitigation and monitoring. These will need to investigate, decide and record what mitigation is needed, how it will occur and what area it should cover. Lucy Shuff, an Associate Director working with our fisheries team, adds, “it is particularly important to communicate timescales well, helping stakeholders to manage the speed of change and plan effectively.”
2) Siting and design
Many floating offshore wind farms are still at demonstration or design stage. This means that there is variation at industry level, with the possibility of further technological development around aspects such as anchors and moorings. The site itself also needs to be considered. For example, some sites may need to include defined corridors to allow vessel transit.
3) Evolving regulatory frameworks
Regulations will continue to evolve as the offshore wind industry develops and expands. Although some of the industry’s current regulatory frameworks were designed for fixed offshore wind, we’ve discussed how various regions are setting their sights on expansion – making it likely that regulations will need to be reviewed in the future.
Better communication presents opportunities for stakeholders
The concerns of different groups need to be handled with sensitivity, and discussions around the co-existence of different offshore industries can be found around the world. Our view is that there are real benefits to co-existence. For example, the presence of a wind farm could allow areas of seabed, marine environment and certain fish species to regenerate, leading to an increase of fish stocks.
Lucy explains, “We are moving towards net zero from an energy point of view and our industry can have a great impact on the marine biodiversity around the coast. Therefore, it's important to consider how we undertake development to bring about those benefits.”
For our Commercial Fisheries team, one aspect of this is the ability to work closely with researchers. The baseline studies required in consenting floating offshore wind farms provide an opportunity to improve understanding of the marine environment – such as information about the site, the species present, and impacts of previous activity. This is knowledge that future developments, developers and stakeholders could also benefit from, ensuring that floating offshore wind grows with confidence based on robust evidence.
How does the Commercial Fisheries team work at Tetra Tech RPS Energy?
Our team have regulatory backgrounds working with commercial fisheries and a strong understanding of how it works and why. Lucy explains, “Fishing is a demanding activity, which is also affected by wind and tides – skippers on fishing boats are very technically minded, highly skilled operators of their crafts.”
The team have wide experience of liaising with multiple stakeholders in their own environments, with an awareness of the information that will be most important to each group. These stakeholders can include NGOs, conservationists and universities as well as fisheries representatives. The team work closely with Tetra Tech RPS Energy's Marine Consenting & Environment team, who lend their expertise in specific assessment types such as EIA. They’re also able to draw on Tetra Tech specialists and researchers in areas such as marine mammals and fish and shellfish ecology, with a connected understanding of the wider ecosystems in which they operate.
If you would like to contact our Commercial Fisheries team, please complete the form below.
Key contacts
Kevin Linnane
Senior Associate Director, Marine Ecology & HRA