Although the planned offshore wind farm in Maryland still has a lot of work to be done before its actual construction starts, the project’s impact on fishing community is already being discussed.
According to Southern Maryland Online news portal, the offshore wind farm would create artificial reefs that could improve recreational fishing. On the other hand, cables and lines would take up valuable bottom, thus harming the commercial fishing in the area that involves dredging.
Catherine McCall from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said that they are currently taking steps to lessenthe impacts on the fishing community. The biggest impact could happen to gear types that tend to make contact with the bottom, Ms. McCall explains, adding that it would be wrong to let dredging or trolling over the cables or lines that connect the turbines.
She said that the decision on where dredging will be prohibited would be made during the siting process, with a possibility that fishing in general could be forbidden near the turbines for safety reasons.
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Offshore WIND staff, October 4, 2012; Image: Alpha Ventus