A new offshore wind farm is on the way in the United Kingdom and the task for mapping the best fishing grounds was given to ABPmer. It is said that the work has been funded by the offshore wind research body COWRIE – the Collaborative Offshore Wind Research into the Environment – and should be completed by December 2008. According to the source it will help inform the location of new wind farm developments under Round Three of the Crown Estate’s offshore wind programme, but will also be relevant for other marine renewable energy projects.
There is no denying fact that ABP Marine Environmental Research (ABPmer), will work with the government’s fisheries research agency the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) on the project, developing Geographical Information System (GIS) layers laying out the location and economic value of commercial fishing and shellfishing activities in UK waters.
Bill Cooper, Managing Director, ABPmer explained that the creation of GIS layers on the location and economic value of commercial fishing and shellfishing activities in UK waters provides an opportunity to steer offshore wind farm developments away from economically important fishing grounds at the planning stage. He added that this will help both the offshore wind farm developers and fishermen.
Last year the company worked as part of a Defra study exploring the potential costs arising from the Marine Bill, which is expected to be part of the next Parliamentary season, and should reform the offshore planning regime and set up new Marine Conservation Zones. It is told that the new project will take in fisheries data for English, Welsh and Scottish territorial waters as well as UK offshore areas, including statistics from marine organisations including the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, regional advisory councils, sea fisheries committees and fish industry organisations.
