LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME



[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]

Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

Get weekly updates
RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Stripe

Donate via Paypal

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Scottish fishermen voice fears over impact of massive offshore wind farms on key catch species 

Credit:  By Ilona Amos | The Scotsman | Tuesday, 31st May 2022 | www.scotsman.com ~~

Massive offshore wind farms planned for Scottish waters could wreak havoc on important fish stocks, fisheries leaders have warned.

Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) is calling on the Scottish Government to consider the impact of a raft of new offshore developments proposed under ScotWind and Innovation and Target Oil and Gas (Intog) schemes, because the sites overlap on spawning and nursery grounds for some of the country’s most popular and commercially valuable fish.

They fear that building turbines in these ecologically sensitive areas could see populations of species such as haddock, cod, mackerel, herring and blue whiting adversely affected.

“We appeal to the Scottish Government and to offshore developers to undertake a full programme of research to more fully understand the impacts of anchoring offshore wind farms in the middle of fish spawning grounds,” said Daniel Lawson, executive officer for SFA.

“Ministers must adopt the precautionary principle and apply it.

“While the industry does not contest the concept of more offshore renewables, this rush towards development means that mistakes will be made – with Scotland’s productive and pristine fishing grounds potentially paying the price.

“Our government says it wants to support coastal communities, build a world-class fishing nation and protect the health of Scotland’s fish stocks.

“Our community relies on a sustainable fishing industry, and encouraging offshore wind farms without a full understanding of their impact is a real threat to the sustainability of those stocks.”

The SFA has used Scottish Government data and information from 120 fishing vessels to create a series of maps that show the overlap between proposed development areas and crucial ecosystems for young fish.

The risks are “laid bare in stark terms”, according to the membership organisation.

For example, only two out of 18 areas earmarked for turbine installation are outwith spawning or nursery grounds for haddock, Scotland’s most popular fish dish.

They say evidence is also mounting that lobsters and crabs can be harmed by electromagnetic fields from underwater power cables for offshore energy schemes.

Mr Lawson added: “Fishermen are now questioning whether ministers or Marine Scotland even took spawning grounds into account in their rush to auction off vast areas of sea to multinational energy firms.”

[rest of article available at source]

Source:  By Ilona Amos | The Scotsman | Tuesday, 31st May 2022 | www.scotsman.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions
   Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)
Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI M TG TS G Share

Tag: Wildlife


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook Wind Watch on Linked In

Wind Watch on Mastodon Wind Watch on Truth Social

Wind Watch on Gab Wind Watch on Bluesky