Alan McCulla to forge industry response to Maine Conservation Zones and Offshore wind-farms. He along with NFFO Executive Committee member have done port visit programme It is said that the new programme of visits for which a European Fishing Fund grant application will be made, will form the basis for a major NFFO initiative designed to give fishermen a stronger voice in sitting offshore wind-farms and marine conservation zones.
According to the NFFO Executive Committee a continuation of the programme of port visits would provide the most effective way to protect areas of key fishing grounds from poor sitting decisions by encouraging fishermen to prepare defensive charts of no-go areas for wind-farms and marine conservation zones. Recent NFFO meetings with Crown Estates, Natural England and JNCC have underlined the need for the industry to identify and defend the areas that are critical for fishing.
It is told that the Conservation bodies charged with identifying “ an ecologically coherent network” of marine conservation zones by 2012 and the Crown Estate which is in the middle of a massive expansion programme for offshore wind-farms, have emphasised the importance of working with the fishing industry to minimise their impact. The plan is to use the port visits to encourage groups of local fishermen to provide information that will be incorporated into electronic charts; these will then be used to negotiate wind-farm and MCZs away from critical fishing areas as far as possible.
