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Offshore Renewable Energy & Fisheries

The coexistence of Offshore Renewable Energy and fishing activities involves reconciling two very contrasting activities. On the one hand, fishing, a long-established activity, mostly driven by individual enterprises and part of the economy and social fabric of coastal communities, dependent on fragile biological resources, and that makes extensive but temporary use of maritime space. On the other, Marine Renewable Energy, an emerging activity with strong political and financial backing to meet European and national decarbonisation targets, involving large industrial players, dependent on physical resources (seabed, wind), and that makes permanent and almost exclusive use of maritime space. As a result, the relationship between these two sectors is complex and can be conflicting. The prospect of major growth in offshore wind power between now and 2050 reinforces the need for solutions to make these activities compatible. It is now a question of demonstrating that under the right planning and consultations, these two activities can coexist and operate.

This fiche sets out the range of interactions to be considered between offshore renewable energy and fisheries, and what MSP can do to avoid and mitigate possible negative interactions. 

Related challenges

Related enablers


References

DISCLAIMER: This page is partially based on the previous existing section “MSP Sectors and Conflicts” presented on the European MSP Platform, and where you can find the related fiche here.

[3]https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/policy/common-fisheries-policy-cfp/action-plan-protecting-and-restoring-marine-ecosystems-sustainable-and-resilient-fisheries_en

[5]https://www.quae-open.com/produit/136/9782759201846/marine-renewable-energies

[8]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0184_EN.html 

[10]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2021-0184_EN.html 

[11]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X23004748#bib89 

[12]  https://ailes-marines.bzh/en/le-parc-eolien-et-la-peche/

[13]https://kis-orca.org/safety/the-risks-of-fishing-near-cables-renewable-energy-structures/

[14]https://www.bsh.de/DE/PUBLIKATIONEN/_Anlagen/Downloads/Offshore/Bundesfachplan-Nordsee/Bundesfachplan-Offshore-Nordsee-2016-2017

[15]https://henry.baw.de/server/api/core/bitstreams/08f51f1d-d7e9-446b-bba5-d432c704bd36/content

[16]https://www.iscpc.org/documents/?id=142

[17]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972031687X?via%3Dihub

[18]https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Reckhaus-2022.pdf

[19]https://www.france-energies-marines.org/projets/fishowf/ 

[20]https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Svendsen-et-al-2022.pdf 

[21]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972031687X?via%3Dihub 

Existing co-existence and multi-use initiatives

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