Citing the emergence of offshore wind power on the East Coast, a new alliance has formed with a goal of ensuring that these developments are compatible with the existing interests of the nation’s fishing communities.
The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) brings together a range of commercial fishermen from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to advocate for their shared concerns over emerging offshore developments.
RODA says it is seeking to coordinate the efforts of the fishing industry; offshore wind development interests; and federal, state and local governments to promote effective offshore development policies and to support more scientific research on offshore development impacts.
“The current, splintered approaches to engaging fishing communities in the offshore wind leasing process are ineffective and inefficient, and the result is that critical fishing industry expertise is not being considered,” states Anne Hawkins, legal and scientific counsel for RODA. “Fisheries need a unified effort to ensure they get the best possible offshore outcomes.”
One of RODA’s first priorities is exploring partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Atlantic states to develop collaborative scientific research. The group is also working with its members in the fishing industry to provide a unified voice on industry-wide issues.
“The industry needs to speak as one,” notes Robert Vanasse, communications and media advisor to RODA. “The offshore wind energy industry and regulators at the federal, state and local levels need to hear clearly the concerns of participants in our domestic fisheries. We will work to foster the productive dialogue among those parties that is urgently needed and sorely lacking.”
