Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind has entered into a partnership agreement with Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) to improve communication between the commercial fishing industry and offshore wind developers.
The aim of this first-of-its-kind partnership is to create an unprecedented opportunity for commercial fishermen to provide direct input to the wind energy industry on matters of significant interest to their businesses, the two parties said.
The core component of the initiative will be the creation of a joint industry task force to explore improved approaches to project siting, design, and operations.
“We are proud to be the first offshore wind developer to partner with RODA, which is an important part to the future of offshore wind,” said CEO of Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind and President of Ørsted North America Thomas Brostrøm.
“The fishing community must be considered as offshore wind development continues in the U.S. Through this partnership, we will be able to share our concerns in a productive way and develop practical solutions as we all seek to coexist and thrive for a better tomorrow.”
According to Ørsted and RODA, both industries will remain autonomous but will provide a platform to move towards workable solutions.
The parties are calling on other offshore wind developers and commercial fishermen to join the partnership in order to develop well-informed and enduring approaches to best practices and provide a representation of the industries.
“It is extremely vital that our nation’s fishermen are heard when offshore wind projects are being developed,” said RODA Chairman and Director of Sustainability at Atlantic Capes Fisheries Peter Hughes .
“Ørsted has made it clear that they want to be partners with the fishing industry, and we are optimistic that our work with them will set a standard ensuring that fishermen have direct input into wind farm designs and ensuring that their concerns are fully embraced by developers.”
RODA is the only national commercial fishing organization that is purpose-built for interacting with the offshore wind industry to maintain sustainable fisheries. It is based from Midcoast Maine to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.