Advisory councils warn EU over offshore wind threat to fishing and demand urgent political action on spatial planning conflicts
Joint advice urges urgent action to address conflict between renewable energy and food production
Two influential EU fisheries bodies have warned the European Commission that the unchecked expansion of offshore renewable energy (ORE) poses an escalating threat to food security, marine biodiversity, and the viability of commercial fishing.
In a joint letter published this week, the North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) and Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) expressed deep concern over the lack of effective coordination and consultation with the fishing industry in marine spatial planning. The groups accuse EU institutions of failing to account for fisheries’ legitimate interests while pushing ahead with offshore wind farm developments.
The advisory councils, made up of fishing industry representatives, NGOs, and other stakeholders, said the European Green Deal’s renewable energy targets were being implemented in a way that “infringes on the legal rights of fishermen” and ignores mounting scientific evidence of environmental harm.
They called for “urgent political action” to ensure that spatial planning respects the principle of proportionality under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), warning that the growing spatial squeeze is undermining the EU’s own food security objectives.
Among the key recommendations in the letter were:
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A comprehensive risk assessment of the cumulative impacts of ORE on fish stocks and marine ecosystems
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Prioritising food production in marine spatial planning under the EU Blue Economy agenda
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Greater transparency and early involvement of fisheries stakeholders in ORE project design and permitting
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Strengthened legal safeguards for the fishing industry in cross-sectoral planning processes
The letter also highlighted the continued absence of standardised methodologies to measure the environmental and socio-economic impacts of ORE. In particular, it criticised the limited capacity of ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) to provide robust, fishery-relevant data, noting that many assessments remain desk-based and generic.
“Europe cannot afford to sacrifice food security in the name of energy security,” the councils wrote, citing the European Court of Auditors’ 2023 report which flagged similar risks.
The advisory bodies also referenced mounting concern across the sector over the exclusion of fisheries input in national ORE strategies. They said that member states often treat consultation as a “tick-box exercise” rather than a genuine effort to reconcile spatial conflict.
In one of the strongest sections of the letter, the councils warned that the fishing industry is at a “breaking point” in many areas where ORE has already disrupted traditional grounds and undermined livelihoods.
“The European Commission must stop treating the fishing sector as an afterthought,” the document said. “The current trajectory risks not only ecological degradation but the collapse of entire coastal communities.”
The letter calls for a high-level political meeting between DG MARE, DG ENER, and the advisory councils, with the aim of developing a binding framework for integrating fisheries and ORE planning. The councils insist that only a cross-departmental, inter-institutional response can resolve the growing crisis.
They concluded by stating that while fishermen support climate action, they will not accept being collateral damage in poorly managed energy transitions.