EU fishing sector warns offshore wind and MPAs are shrinking sea space. Experts call for inclusion, not afterthought.
Advisory Councils warn of mounting conflict between clean energy expansion and fishing sector survival
The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy (ORE) developments across EU waters is threatening the viability of traditional fisheries, according to fisheries representatives and experts who took part in a high-level webinar hosted by the North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) and the Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC).
Held on 25 February 2025, the session brought together officials from the European Commission, ICES scientists, environmental NGOs, and fishing industry representatives to assess the growing impacts of offshore wind on fishing activity, marine ecosystems, and spatial planning. The verdict: without proper coordination and representation, the fishing industry risks being squeezed out of European seas entirely.
“The pieces of the puzzle keep moving,” said Gonçalo Carvalho of PelAC, as he opened the meeting. “Fishing is not being fully factored into decisions about how our seas are used — and that is creating serious tension.”
EU energy ambitions leave less room for fishing
Xavier Guillou of the European Commission’s DG MARE outlined the EU’s soaring targets: 88 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 300 GW by 2050, as part of the RePowerEU strategy. While he noted the “strong political support” for scaling up ORE to meet climate and energy security goals, he also admitted that full integration of fisheries into marine spatial planning remains a challenge.
Only 3% of EU electricity currently comes from offshore renewables, but the potential footprint is enormous. Floating wind in particular — suitable for deeper waters like the Atlantic — is expected to grow rapidly. Meanwhile, the European Commission is pushing member states to shift from isolated national spatial plans to regional, cross-border coordination — a move intended to improve coexistence between competing marine users.
Yet, for many in the fishing sector, coexistence remains a buzzword with little substance.
ICES: Trade-offs are unavoidable, but data and inclusion lacking
Andrew Kenny of ICES presented the organisation’s new Offshore Renewable Energy Roadmap, which aims to build scientific understanding of ORE’s ecological, economic, and social impacts — particularly on fisheries. ICES is currently developing tools for assessing cumulative impacts, but acknowledged that the science is struggling to keep pace with policy.
Fishing industry representatives welcomed ICES’ efforts but highlighted how little their knowledge and experience are included in the planning phase of ORE projects. As one participant noted, “Fishing is dynamic — our grounds shift with seasons and climate. Planning around static wind farm grids ignores that reality.”
Two new workshops in 2025 — WKOMO and WKDSIM — aim to improve monitoring of wind farm effects on fish stocks and fishing patterns. But ICES warned that “multi-use” scenarios, where fishing and energy can operate in the same space, still face serious unresolved conflicts, particularly where active fishing methods are involved.
Fishing sector boxed in by Green Deal goals and spatial designations
Sébastien Metz of Sakana Consultants, presenting findings from an EU Parliament report, underscored the difficulty of balancing offshore wind with existing maritime activities and environmental protections.
Floating wind farms, in particular, present significant risks for fishing due to anchoring and cable layouts that restrict vessel movement. Some member states have already imposed outright fishing bans in wind farm zones, citing safety. Metz warned that the combination of energy infrastructure and growing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) creates what fishers call a “spatial squeeze”.
The Green Deal’s target to protect 30% of EU waters by 2030 adds yet another layer of pressure — especially where MPAs overlap with planned wind development zones.
Environmental groups call for nature-first approach
Ljuba Ferrario of Seas At Risk welcomed ORE’s role in meeting EU climate targets but warned that environmental safeguards are being sidelined in the rush to scale up. She criticised the use of Renewable Acceleration Areas (RAAs) — fast-tracked ORE zones where environmental impact assessments can be waived — as a dangerous precedent.
Ferrario advocated for strict limits on multi-use zones, arguing that only low-impact activities such as passive gear fishing or low-trophic aquaculture should be permitted within wind farms. She also called for stronger cross-border spatial planning and public participation in all ORE decision-making.
Coexistence rhetoric not matched by reality
Despite repeated claims from policymakers and developers that offshore wind and fishing can coexist, many fishers and scientific advisers pushed back.
“In Scotland, certain mobile and static gears have returned after construction — but not to previous levels. That’s not coexistence,” one participant said bluntly. Others noted that the installation of export cables and anchoring systems for floating wind will increasingly close off additional areas of the seabed, often permanently.
ICES experts admitted that assessment tools are still struggling to capture the full scale and complexity of ORE’s impact, particularly when considering shifting fishing grounds, climate change, and the legal fragmentation across sea basins.
Urgent call for inclusion and clarity
The webinar concluded with a clear consensus: the fishing sector must be properly represented in ORE planning from the outset — not treated as an afterthought once permits are granted and turbines are in place.
The Advisory Councils plan to organise follow-up sessions, including a deep dive into recent ICES workshops, to better equip fishers with the tools to engage in these complex discussions. Meanwhile, the message to policymakers was clear: balance between energy and food production at sea cannot be achieved without serious cross-sector cooperation.