Coastal Oregon wind projects seen as threat to fisheries, marine ecosystem
By Bonner Cohen, Ph. D. |March 29th, 2023|44 Comments
As the debate continues to rage along the East Coast over offshore wind development’s impact on Atlantic whales and other marine life, a similar controversy has erupted on the West Coast, where plans for floating wind turbines are encountering growing opposition.
The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has identified “call areas” off the Oregon coast it says are suitable for wind development, as part of the Biden administration’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. But the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (Council) — joined by conservation groups, tribes, and other concerned citizens — has asked BOEM to rescind the call areas and begin the process anew.
“The Council’s action sends a strong signal to BOEM that fisheries leaders do not want to lose our productive fisheries, the scientific surveys on which our fisheries management depends, or the health of our ocean ecosystems due to offshore wind,” Susan Chambers, co-chair of the Council’s Marine Planning Committee, said in a statement. “The California Current is one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. We need to get this right.”
https://www.cfact.org/2023/03/29/coastal-oregon-wind-projects-seen-as-threat-to-fisheries-marine-ecosystem/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coastal-oregon-wind-projects-seen-as-threat-to-fisheries-marine-ecosystem&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coastal-oregon-wind-projects-seen-as-threat-to-fisheries-marine-ecosystem
