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The Danish Fishermen’s Association chief, Svend_Erik-Andersen has raised concerns over government plans to build up to 10,000 offshore wind turbines in the North Sea
The Danish government has proposed that offshore wind from the North Sea in 2050 should provide 150 GW, equivalent to 10,000 offshore wind turbines.
In a press release, the DFPO say they recognise the need for green energy and offshore wind turbines as part of the solution. However, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that offshore wind turbines take up a lot of space. They say there must be coexistence at sea, and therefore the fishermen must have the opportunity to fish in the offshore wind farms.
The offshore wind farms must not harm the fishery and the environment
Today, the government, along with a number of other countries, has proposed a massive investment in offshore wind turbines to scale up the production of green electricity. That ambition is supported by the Danish Fisheries Association, but at the same time notes that the offshore wind farms must not harm fishing and the environment:
“There is a great need for green energy, and offshore wind turbines are part of a greener future. This is a massive expansion, and I may be worried about how so many offshore wind turbines will affect the marine environment and fish stocks” says Svend-Erik Andersen, chairman of DFPO. “Fisheries must provide the sustainable and climate-friendly food of the future, so that there must be room for both fishing, the marine environment and for offshore wind turbines. The offshore wind turbines take up a lot of space at sea, so solutions are needed.”
The cable order must be removed
According to the Danish Fishermen’s Association, the obvious solution is to look at the cable executive order, so that fishermen can fish over buried cables and pipes from the offshore wind turbines. As it is today, fishermen do not have the opportunity to fish in areas with offshore wind turbines, although it is possible in several of Denmark’s neighbouring countries.
“It must be ensured that the Danish fishermen have the opportunity to fish in the offshore wind farms. This is already the case in other countries such as Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and Danish fishermen should not be disadvantaged compared to colleagues from other countries. This requires a showdown with the so-called cable executive order, which today prevents fishing with bottom-dragging gear in offshore wind farms,” says Svend-Erik Andersen.
Involve the fishery in the location of the parks
Svend-Erik Andersen fears that the offshore wind farms could harm the environment and push fishing away from the oceans:
“It is absolutely necessary that the fishing industry is involved as early as possible in the process, so that we can ensure that the offshore wind turbines are placed in areas where they are least possible in the way of Danish fishing. We are constructively involved in this process, and I really hope that decision-makers, politicians and the wind turbine industry will take the fishery on board, so that it does not end up with the fishery being displaced, and we must do without the climate-friendly food from the sea,” says Svend -Erik Andersen.