News that the focus of UK Government subsidies is to shift, in future years, from onshore wind farms to those offshore has been welcomed fairly widely.
Certainly, there are many among those who hate the wind farms that are already dotted around our countryside who would happily see them as far out to sea as possible. Over the horizon would do. But it has long been felt by many, not so passionately opposed to wind farms, that offshore held the long-term solution to many of the renewable industry's problems
Not everyone is quite so enamoured of the idea. Well to the front of that queue is Bertie Armstrong, the impressive chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF). Not so surprising. The sea is his members' workplace and offshore wind development could easily encroach on their activities.
The SFF represents more than 500 vessels from inshore creel boats to pelagic trawlers, and Armstrong is clear: "We look at this news with considerable anxiety, indicating as it does that offshore wind development is now regarded as the preferred option. It may be in inshore areas where significant parts of this new wind development will in the end be placed, which creates the very real likelihood of displacing local fishing activity.
"This applies also to planned developments further offshore and, if the cumulative effect is considered, then this impact could be very considerable indeed and will have the potential to affect the livelihoods of many across the industry and its infrastructure. Balance in the future planning process will be essential if sustainable harvesting of another renewable resource - seafood - is to be properly maintained."
He says the SFF had already given a robust response during the Scottish Government's consultation process for their Marine Energy Sectoral Plan, and pointed out that "the Marine Act (Scotland) that governs such issues states that there should be prevention of interference with legitimate users of the sea - such as our hardworking fishermen".
Certainly, giant turbines with rotor blades reaching up higher than the Forth Bridge and sweeping an area three times the size of a football field could indeed constitute fairly serious interference. Trying to fish in between scores of these hazards to navigation could indeed be a bit challenging, so would be off limits.
However, scientists have been looking at existing offshore wind farms and found they can benefit the marine ecosystems which surround them.
One major benefit is precisely that no fishing can take place inside the wind farms due to safety concerns. One of the largest constructed is off the Kent coast and covers an area of almost 9,000 acres so the effect can be significant.
Marine scientists say wind farms effectively become Marine Conservation Zones, which not only allow fish in the area to develop to full size, but also protects the sea bed from any damage by trawling equipment.
Their argument holds that these zones may even help fisherman, as fish and spawn will leave the protected areas and increase the population of nearby seas. The foundations of the turbines themselves have also been seen to act as an artificial reef, allowing smaller marine organisms to grow on them producing a valuable food source for fish in the area.
Which should all be good conservation news. However, it is likely to be tested as increased development is inevitable given that, within 10 years, almost 50,000 people could be employed in jobs related to wind farms off the Scottish coast, according to one study ( it also said that could be as low as 1,600 without the proper investment).
The first comprehensive study of the potential impact of offshore wind on the Scottish economy was commissioned by Scottish Renewables and Scottish Enterprise. Published in 2010, it examined the prospects largely earmarked for the east coast in two blocks: one off Fife and the firths of Forth and Tay, the other in the outer Moray Firth.
The report offered a range of scenarios for Scottish offshore wind industry development up to 2020. The most positive suggested this new industry could create as many as 48,000 jobs - 28,000 directly, supported by a further 20,000 through related industries, by 2020. This would contribute £7.1billion of investment to the economy.
But it assumed proper investment in the grid, ports and training; which is certainly not all in place yet.
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