Irish fishing representatives demand government switch to floating wind turbines

Representatives of Ireland’s fishing industry are asking the Irish government to shape the country’s ambitious offshore wind energy plan around floating turbines, which they say will be less disruptive to fishing operations.

Six Irish fisheries representatives recently visited a floating offshore wind farm in Kincardine on the Scottish coast at the invitation of Simply Blue, a renewable energy firm.

One of the six, Irish Fish Producers Organization CEO Aodh O’Donnell, told SeafoodSource that fishermen hadn’t been sufficiently consulted by government in planning new wind farms. According to O’Donnell, wind installations on such a scale are not compatible with trawl fishing.

“Given the offshore competition for space, we have to work hard and collaboratively to defend our members interests. Many of our vessels are involved in long-established fisheries for species such as Dublin Bay prawns – a valuable resource traditionally fished in the Irish Sea.  These vessels now face uncertainty due to the planned development of offshore wind turbines,” he said.

According to O’Donnell, Ireland Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications Eamon Ryan has signed off on six Irish Sea wind farm developments that are now moving into their planning stages.

“Available charts indicate that most of the rich Irish Sea fishing area is targeted for turbine development,” O’Donnell said. “Fishing vessels could be displaced if there is an untrammeled development of offshore wind turbines. Our industry has already taken too many hits, but proper consultation could allow us all to co-exist.”

Ireland plans to put seven gigawatts of wind energy online by 2030, an increase of 250 percent on current levels of installations. Bu the country’s fisheries organizations want Ireland to hold off on approving offshore wind farms until the country’s newly created Maritime Area Regulatory Authority is up and running.

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