Director Amanda Lefton, the three officials — who respectively lead the New England, Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils — expressed concern about current processes for approving offshore wind development. They also made a series of recommendations to help the federal government mitigate impacts on fisheries.
A lift boat is pictured off the beach near Wainscott, New York, on Dec. 1. The vessel's drill will be used in the construction of the South Fork Wind farm that is expected to start generating power in late 2023. The letters from the regional councils — which Congress established in 1976 to manage the nation’s marine fishery resources — came after BOEM proposed guidance in June to ensure offshore renewable energy development"occurs in a thoughtful manner" and that its conflicts with fisheries are minimized. Lefton said at the time the agency was seeking"open and honest conversations focused on finding solutions."BOEM is expected to finalize the guidance in the coming weeks.