As David in this story, regular people – commercial and recreational fishermen, tribal representatives, marine scientists, environmentalists, and coastal citizens continue to show up and speak in the face of the overwhelming force of Goliath.
There are far more questions than answers when it comes to offshore wind energy. Anyone paying attention at a BOEM meeting knows that the...
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MTC Director Heather Mann reflects on the challenges faced by commercial fishermen in 2022 and the promise she sees in 2023.
The Federal Register reports that 239 comments have been submitted on the topic of Oregon offshore wind energy development. The people have spoken, but will BOEM listen?
A variety of governmental organizations and other groups with concerns about the process surrounding offshore wind development have gone on the record with resolutions and letters of concern to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Here we list the organizations and provide a link to their resolutions and letters.
Representing Oregon’s coastal communities, two members of Congress and a U.S. Senator have put their concerns about offshore wind energy development in writing to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
More than 200 people attended this May 10th rally representing interests across the seafood industry – from harvesters and processors, to supply companies, scientists, and consumers. The message was unified: offshore wind development should not displace commercial fishing.
The Commercial Fishing Users Group (CFUG) believes it is important for the Port of Newport to consider taking a position to prioritize current ocean users and stakeholders over offshore wind development companies as the process moves forward. The process begins with a discussion about offshore wind and its impacts.
For those in the world of commercial fishing, sustainability is an ever-present part of the thought process when selecting new gear, targeting certain fishing grounds, and making decisions about the future of these multi-generational businesses. After all, without sustainability, future generations won’t have a fishing business to take over.
Even without floating offshore wind farms, the ocean off Oregon is an obstacle course, not an open grassy plain. As the harvesters of healthy seafood for the nation who simultaneously support thousands of Oregon jobs both onshore and on the water, the concerns of the fishing industry regarding offshore energy development must be acknowledged and minimized.
Today’s trawl cod catcher vessel boat owners and the captains and crew are forward thinking, they are technologically savvy, they care deeply for our natural resources and minimizing incidental catch. The Council process worked exactly as it was intended, resulting in a responsible federal fisheries management action that we can all be proud of.