Fishermen in Cornwall fear proposals for offshore wind farms could destroy their businesses and pose the “greatest change” the fishing industry has ever faced.
David Stevens, a fisherman and member of the Cornwall Fish Producers Organisation, says the proposals for the area where he fishes would “close down around 60% to 70%” of the waters.
The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind leasing Round 5 is focussed on innovative floating wind in the Celtic Sea, off the coast of Devon, Cornwall and South Wales.
In a report by Sky News he said: “This is probably the greatest change to our fishing patterns and businesses we’re ever going to encounter, we’re going to be squeezed out of the way, that’s our greatest fear, by all these wind farms all of a sudden taking up ground that we traditionally fish.”
He added: “I’ve looked at the proposals to the south where I work and it would completely close down around about 60% to 70% of the area I work. So my business plan – it’s gone out of the window.”
Mr Stevens said this is not about the fishing industry being against green energy, adding: “I am all in favour of renewable energy – it’s definitely the way to go forward. But there needs to be a balance between energy security for the country and food security for the country.
“We’re the fishermen, we’re out providing the food source, that is also, is it not, as important as energy, we’re humans we need heat, we need food, we need shelter.”
Green energy transition
Separately, the The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said the fishing sector must not become a casualty of the transition to green energy.
She said: “All our futures depend on shifting from an energy system based on fossil fuels to one that has less impact on global climate.
“But the ‘windrush’ – the planned expansion of offshore wind in our seas – floating offshore wind in particular – going ever-further and faster, is not proving to be a just transition for our fishing industry.
She added: “At present, there are no proposals on the table to compensate our industry for the losses we will suffer, which are increasingly recognised by floating offshore wind developers as being significant.
“We call on governments to step up to their responsibilities and live up to their commitments of a just transition – hollow words are not enough.”
The Scottish government said it would always seek to secure the “best possible outcome” for access to fisheries.
A spokesperson said: “We fully understand the need to balance the growth of the offshore renewables sector with continued investment in Scotland’s fisheries, seafood and wider marine sectors and the communities and jobs which rely on them.
“We will need to make the right choices about how we develop and use Scotland’s marine space sustainably.
“A range of competing and complementary demands”
Regarding the Celtic Sea and Round 5, The Crown Estate told Sky News offshore wind has a “critical” role to play in supporting the UK’s energy transition.
It said: “The seabed is subject to a wide range of competing and complementary demands, which is why we have set out our initial thinking on how, and where, the future deployment of offshore wind might be possible, taking into account the needs of different sectors – including fishing – and the natural environment.”
It says it will continue to seek opinions from marine stakeholders.