Fisheries Communications Plan

Our Fisheries Communications Plan guides our engagement with the fisheries community and other stakeholders during the project’s development, and will evolve over time in response to diverse community needs and perspectives. We are committed to an adaptive process built on listening and honest conversation. Your voice matters and we are excited to hear from you.

FAQ

• Access
• Involvement
• Safety
• Minimize impacts
• Monitoring
• Timing
• Gear Loss

Question: Access: Will commercial and recreational fishing be allowed within the project area?
Answer:

• The design of the project for lease OCS-P 0561 will be a multi-year process, incorporating comprehensive site investigations and stakeholder input. Safe navigation and fisheries access will remain key priorities, evaluated through the required Navigational Safety Risk Assessment and ongoing collaboration with the fishing industry.
• At this early stage in the process, the project would anticipate temporary, rolling, closest-point-of-approach safety areas around construction vessels during installation, construction, and decommissioning of the project. As the project’s Site Investigation and Engineering teams collect more information, the project team will be in an informed position to provide additional information responsive to these important questions.

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Question: Involvement: How can fishermen provide input or get involved in the project?
Answer:

• The project team welcomes your input and proactively seeks opportunities to partner with local fishermen. If you fish in the area and would like to provide input or share concerns, please contact our Marine Affairs Manager. Your insights help us facilitate close coordination and build a project that aligns with the needs of the local fisheries.
• If you want to receive updates on our offshore survey operations, including notices to mariners, fisheries notices, and project updates, please signup below.
• If you have a commercial fishing vessel and would like to discuss opportunities to participate in the project by providing vessel services, please tell us about your vessel and interest here.

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Question: Safety: How will the project promote safe navigation for fishermen fishing in or transiting through the offshore wind array?
Answer:

• The project will implement an innovative fisheries communications plan to keep the fishing industry informed during every phase of development. Through collaborative safety planning with fishermen, mariners, and the US Coast Guard, the project will ensure safe navigation within the array, informed by best practices and the Navigational Safety Risk Assessment.
• The project team will develop a marking and lighting plan for all of the structures within the project area to ensure safe day and night visibility in accordance with BOEM guidelines and USCG regulations.
• The project team will also consult directly with the fishing industry, other mariners, and USCG to inform its plan to use AIS to mark structures electronically within the project area to promote safe navigation.
• The project will work with the fishing industry to develop best practice guidance to promote safe navigational activity within the array as informed by the Navigational Safety Risk Assessment, and will incorporate this guidance in our safety management plan.
• The project will work with fishermen to develop and support training programs to promote safe navigation and activities within the project area.

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Question: How will the project avoid and minimize impacts to marine fisheries?
Answer:

• Lease OCS-P 0561 was identified through BOEM’s intergovernmental task force process which began in 2016 and included input from stakeholders, tribes, local, state, and federal government. The project team will engage directly with the fishing industry to collect information and understand the detailed considerations specific to individual fisheries and gear types to inform fisheries considerations throughout the development of the project.
• The project design team will plan to bury export cables to a depth determined by a comprehensive Cable Burial Risk Assessment (CBRA) and informed by BOEM guidelines. The risk assessment will consider sediment type, bottom mobility, and potential fisheries interactions, along with other physical and environmental considerations.

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Question: Monitoring: How will the developer monitor any changes in the fisheries before and after the installation of the project?
Answer:

• The project will develop a comprehensive pre- and post-construction fisheries monitoring plan in partnership with the fishing industry, state agencies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. This collaborative approach will ensure effective monitoring and promote cooperative research opportunities.
• The developer will engage fishermen in the design and implementation of the monitoring plan and will explore cooperative research frameworks and opportunities in the development of the plan.

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Question: Timing: When will the project begin survey operations and in-water construction activities in the lease area?
Answer:

• Survey operations may begin in the lease area and potential export cable corridor routes later in Q2 of 2024, following regulatory review and approval and subject to vessel and equipment availability.
• Canopy Offshore Wind will develop the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the project, in consultation with stakeholders and state and federal regulators during the course of a multi-year regulatory review process with BOEM and state and federal regulators.
• This is a long lead time project that will undergo state and federal permitting reviews. RWE anticipates in-water construction activities beginning in the mid-2030s.

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Question: Gear Loss: What should I do if I believe my gear has been lost or damaged?
Answer: 

• Every effort will be made to avoid and deconflict fisheries activities and potential impacts and prior to each survey campaign through direct outreach and communication with the fishing industry. In the event that impacts occur, the project has established a gear loss claim procedure for loss or damage to fishing gear due to survey activities. Canopy Offshore Wind is committed to processing claims for lost or damaged fishing gear in a timely manner.
• For fishermen who experience a gear loss or damage event associated with any vessels contracted to the project, a Gear Loss Claim Form is available here. The fisheries liaison will be the point of contact for fishermen to assist them with this process, and their contact information can be found below.

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