Fishermen and offshore wind developers say a recent agreement over the installation of undersea cables for the 100-turbine Revolution Wind project marks a turning point in their long-contentious relationship, and they’re hoping it can serve as a model to settle future disputes as the offshore wind sector expands.
The agreement approved by state regulators creates a $3.5 million compensation package for Rhode Island fishermen for the effects the 23 miles of cables may have in the fishing grounds off the Rhode Island coast.
Still, some fishermen say there’s room for improvement, especially when it comes to how to calculate the dollars lost to their industry.
Conflicting calculations have stymied negotiations in past projects, including the South Fork Wind farm, which the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council approved in 2021 despite objections from fishermen.
Richard Hittinger, a member of the Fishermen’s Advisory Board – which represents commercial, recreational and charter fishermen – thinks the South Fork experience pushed coastal regulators to learn from those mistakes.
“My feeling, although I don’t know for a fact, is that the CRMC got such pushback with what happened for South Fork that they laid down the ground rules early on for Revolution Wind,” Hittinger said.
Marisa Desautel, an attorney who represented the Fishermen’s Advisory Board on both projects, says this round of discussions felt different.
Orsted A/S and Eversource Energy LLC are the joint developers on both wind farms. But their attitude shifted this time, she says.
“They were more open to communicating about solutions instead of just saying, ‘No, this is how it’s going to be,’ ” Desautel said.
Representatives for Revolution Wind LLC did not respond to specific questions but in an emailed statement praised the consultants, CRMC staff and others for a “respectful and professional” dialogue.
How the burgeoning offshore wind industry will affect ocean species, habitats and fishing grounds is still largely unknown. Fishermen’s groups and developers rely on hired consultants to project potential damage.
With South Fork, experts disagreed on the basic financial calculations. But in Revolution Wind, they seemed to find consensus, Desautel says.
Hittinger agrees that the payout this time was better, although not ideal.
One area that could be improved, Hittinger says, is calculating losses for recreational fishermen since there is no available federal data to use. In South Fork, there was no money set aside for this group.
The $3.5 million compensation package for Revolution Wind’s cables centers on commercial fishermen but also includes a $200,000 community fund to support recreational fishing.
Richard Fuka, a squid fisherman and president of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Alliance, thinks the entire payout was too low. He didn’t believe fishermen were happy with it, either.
“No fisherman is going to say, ‘We’re completely satisfied,’ ” Fuka said. “The lawyers wear you down.”
Desautel declined to respond to Fuka’s comments, but she says she is hopeful that the tone and outcome of the latest negotiations would serve as a model for future discussions. The CRMC is expected to issue its decision on the project by February.
“Hopefully, this is the new novel approach and will continue,” said Fred Mattera, executive director of the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island.
The CRMC declined to comment.
