Perceptions of Commercial and Recreational Fishers on the Potential Ecological Impacts of the Block Island Wind Farm (US)

Abstract

Offshore wind is gaining momentum in the United States as a viable source for meeting domestic energy needs. Although offshore wind farms have been developed in Europe and Asia, the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) is the first offshore wind farm built in North America. To improve marine resource management, it is critical to understand the impacts of the wind farm on marine resource users in context. Little is known about the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine resource users in the United States. This study investigates recreational and commercial fishers' perceptions of the impacts of the BIWF on the local marine ecosystem. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 fishers, mostly based out of Block Island or Point Judith, Rhode Island (US), in the summer and fall of 2017. During the interviews, fishers were asked about their perceptions of changes in the marine ecology of the wind farm area during and after the offshore wind turbines were constructed, and how their activities in the area have changed since the wind farm was installed. Results indicate that there were perceived impacts of the BIWF on the local ecosystem and the behavior of the marine resource users. For some recreational fishers, the wind farm functioned as a destination or target and served as an artificial reef for spearfishing. For some commercial fishers, the increase in recreational fishing due to the establishment of the BIWF crowded out commercial fishers in these areas. As the offshore wind farm industry expands within US waters, findings from this study and others like it can provide valuable insights on the potential impacts of these wind farms on marine resource users.

How Are Tourists Affected By Offshore Wind Turbines? A Case Study Of The First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm

“…The positive sign for this variable is contrary to Ladenburg & Dubgaard's (2009) findings that frequent users of the coastal areas, specifically boaters and anglers, are generally more averse to wind farms. However, according to more recent research by Tenbrink & Dalton (2018) and Smythe et al (2018), the base of the turbines has served as an artificial reef for spearfishing, which can explain the positive WTP for fishing and boating in our specification. Additionally, frequent visitors may perceive the construction of the wind farm as a novel feature of their repeat recreational site.…”

“…This finding conflicts with the stated preference studies that find wind farms to be a visual disamenity in other contexts (Bishop & Miller, 2007;Firestone, et al, 2018;Fooks et al, 2017;Krueger et al, 2011b;Ladenburg, 2009;Ladenburg & Dubgaard, 2007;Landry et al, 2012a;Lilley et al, 2010a), but is consistent with evidence from Block Island in particular. Since turbine construction, ferries and charter boats have added trip options to see the turbines up close and the wind farm is a popular option for recreational fishing (Smythe et al, 2018;Tenbrink & Dalton, 2018). The ferries and charter boats charge about $30 for a trip to the wind farm (Charters, n.d.; Ferry, n.d.).…”

“…However, few studies have been conducted in the United States around an actual establishment of an offshore wind farm (Ladenburg, 2010). For Block Island, in particular, Tenbrink & Dalton (2018) find that the wind farm has led to an increase in recreational fishing around the turbines, though that came at the price of commercial fishing being crowded out. Carr-Harris & Lang (2019) report that the construction of the wind farm had a positive impact on tourism at Block Island since it led to an increase in revenues from AirBnB properties on the island.…”

Offshore Wind and Community Benefits in Kitty Hawk, Nc

“…Studies have shown that offshore wind farms can attract touristrelated activities, such as recreational fishing, because the wind farm acts as a novelty destination (Lilley et al, 2010;Smythe et al, 2018). For the Block Island Wind Farm, fishermen noticed an increase in recreational fishing in the area after the wind turbines were constructed with several fishermen explaining that the wind farm acted as destination for recreational fishermen in the area (ten Brink and Dalton, 2018).…”

“…This was a concern for commercial fishermen around the Block Island Wind Farm who thought that turbines could be a navigational hazard (ten Brink and Dalton, 2018).…”