Offshore Turbines and the Fishery

Local Maine fishermen concerned about turbine site
Concerns raised over state's plan to test wind power in region

COURTESY PHOTO Waters off Boon Island are a proposed location for a wind turbine demonstration area. Many local fishermen oppose the project because they say the turbines will disrupt the lobster, shrimp and fishing industries.
By Susan Morse
also by Deborah Mcdermott

news@seacoastonline.com
December 23, 2009 2:00 AM
YORK — Local fishermen have raised a number of concerns about the state's plans to use Boon Island as a demonstration site for offshore wind turbine testing.

The turbines would take away prime fishing, lobstering and shrimping areas, according to lobsterman Pat White of York, who initiated two recent meetings on the issue at the York Senior Center.

At least a dozen fishermen and lobstermen attended each.

White represents fishermen on a governor's task force, serves on the Maine State Lobsterman's Association and is president of the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation.

"It seriously disrupts the lobster community because the guys that fish there will have to move over into someone else's territory," he said.

The state on Tuesday, Dec. 15, chose three sites for wind turbine testing. Those sites are located in the waters off Boon, Damariscove and Monhegan islands.

In theory, said Mark Robinson, spokesperson for the turbine project, the wind turbines will be in Maine waters for two to three years. After that, they would likely move farther out to sea into federal waters.

State geologist Robert Marvinney said the state listened well to the fishermen and lobstermen at the two meetings in York — and will continue to listen to them if and when a commercial turbine company expresses interest in placing a prototype at Boon Island.

A company is only allowed two turbines at Boon Island by law, and before anything is placed in the water there will be meetings with the local Department of Marine Resources lobster zone council and affected towns.

If the prototypes indicate a turbine farm would be successful, it would be located farther offshore, in federal waters, said Marvinney. By law, the farm can not be at any of the test sites, he said.

"If it's a lot farther offshore, it would have less impact," said White. "Eighty percent less impact."

This is because lobstermen wouldn't be displaced by the turbines in deeper waters, he said.

The turbines will eventually affect fishermen from other states, once the sites are moved farther offshore, said New Hampshire fisherman Erik Anderson, who promotes eating local at NHseafood.com.

"If it moves forward, it's going to have some effect on the fishing industry, whether it's lobstermen, ground fishing, shrimp," he said. "It's going to the affect the industry somewhere."