Offshore wind farms magnet for fish and fishermen
Last December, the nation’s first offshore wind farm went online. Located 4 miles off Block Island, R.I., these five turbines are undoubtedly a harbinger of things to come in terms of renewable-energy resources. But perhaps even more intriguing is their future as fishing hotspots. That windmills can generate electricity is fact. That they can act as FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices) is somewhat open to conjecture, but optimism abounds.
Up and down the East Coast, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has designated Wind Energy Areas. Some are just in the planning stage, other areas have been leased. Off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., for example, there are three current proposals for wind-farm construction on a much larger scale than the one off Block. In January, the Long Island Power Authority approved developer Deepwater Wind’s plan to build 15 such turbines between Long Island and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Even more are planned off the South Shore of Long Island.