the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Atlantic City NJ, according to two Rutgers University studies offshore wind farms are expected to reduce clam fishery revenue and New Jersey, losses could be as high as 25 percent for fishing vessels based in Atlantic City. Projected annual revenue losses could approach 15 percent industry-wide .
An important East Coast shellfish industry is projected to suffer revenue losses as offshore wind energy develops along the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, according to two Rutgers studies.
The studies, which appear in the ICES Journal of Marine Science (here and here), examined how offshore wind farms planned for the eastern United States could disrupt fishing of the Atlantic surfclam, a major economic driver from Virginia to Massachusetts that generates more than $30 million in direct annual revenue. Total fleet revenue declines measured by the studies ranged from 3 percent to 15 percent, depending on the scale of offshore wind development and response of the fishing fleet.
In New Jersey, losses could be as high as 25 percent for fishing vessels based in Atlantic City.
“Understanding the impacts of fishery exclusion and fishing effort displacement from development of offshore wind energy is critical to the sustainability of the Atlantic surfclam fishing industry,” said co-author Daphne Munroe, an associate professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
“Tools that can predict and manage these complex and interconnected challenges are essential for developing and evaluating strategies that allow for multiple users of the offshore environment.”
To measure the potential impacts of offshore wind farms on Atlantic surfclam catches, Munroe’s team created the Spatially-Explicit Fishery Economics Simulator (SEFES), a computer model to help paint a comprehensive picture of stock dynamics, the fishery and fishing fleet decision-making.
“SEFES is basically a virtual world that allows us to simulate the dynamics of the fishery – from how captains navigate their boats to how weather impacts the catch,” Munroe said. “But the model also has a layer of biology, which accounts for the clam populations and how they change over time and in space.” For instance, climate change is already pushing clam distribution northward; SEFES can account for this shift.
To fine tune SEFES, Munroe and colleagues worked closely with the industry, including fishermen who provided valuable feedback. “We showed them how the model was working, and they told us if our assessments were right or wrong.” Input from fisheries managers and data from landings were also used to ensure the model was working well.
With the model calibrated, Munroe’s team then sought to predict the impacts of future wind farms on Atlantic surfclam catches. As of 2021, some 1.7 million acres of ocean have been leased for offshore renewable energy projects on the outer continental shelf. Atlantic surfclam vessels that fish these areas must operate within restricted lanes or in ways that may be less efficient than in unrestricted areas.
These changes to fishing behavior will have costs that SEFES can calculate. “If fishermen can’t fish in wind-leased areas, they will fish elsewhere in locations that might be less than optimal, changes that will mean longer trips and potentially smaller hauls,” said Munroe.
The studies, funded by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, also determined the locations of the most vulnerable fleets and associated processors. Topping the list are fleets based in Atlantic City. The least affected port in the simulations was New Bedford, Mass.
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This headline is misleading. It implies the clams will be killed by windmills. In fact the “research” just estimates the clam fishermen will have a lower catch because windmills will be in the way. In reality the clams may thrive and the estimated lower catch might be wrong. This is the kind of “research” we usually get from global warming doomsday predictions flipped around. My research predicts the clams will do great windmills or not and the clam fishermen will get their catches.
you are a nobody , or worse yet a “Facebook Expert “, get over yourself
yes it makes to much sense , for a “stuck on stupid” liberal
The fact is 1.7 million acres of our, “WE THE PEOPLE” ocean was leased without public input or vote.
3 executive orders from Governor Murphy increased the Industrial Offshore Wind Development by 10 TIMES.
NJ has a very successful history of sustainable seafood harvesting that is highly regulated and monitored. The harvesting of sea scallops, quahog and surf clams requires Sandy sea floor habitat.
According to Atlantic Shores build plan, each turbine with a 50 foot diameter steel monopile will have 1.4 acres of stone 8 feet deep around the pile to reduce sand erosion (scouring). With thousands of turbines required to meet Governor Murphy’s executive orders- the Ocean sea floor will be completely destroyed. The natural habitat of a Sandy sea floor will forever be destroyed. This will completely change the habitat and preclude any future harvesting of the clam and scallops. Our NJ highly regulated sustainable Sea Food business will be out of business and we will forever lose those NJ jobs and food source.
These are facts – not “science” bought and paid for by Offshore Wind. Unbiased – No fancy models required. It’s basic fact –
You’re spot on!
It doesn’t imply that at all.
Don’t they sink ships to help underwater habitat? You would think the towers would be a plus.
Not when they use a pile driver to pound hundreds or thousands of steel bases more than 100 feet into the ocean floor.
Some fish prefer structure while others prefer an open sandy ocean bottom. I don’t have the specifics. My point is, not all fish prefer structure.
Not only will clam harvesting suffer but so will the scallops industry.
Not to mention the horseshoe crab population will drop. This is essential for vaccines, prosthetic limbs, eye herpes drops, and numerous other medical procedures.
The blood from this animal is used for the detection of microbes. It is copper based and kills many of them. It now goes for $64,000.00./gal. NJ and Delaware are the highest populations of them. With fewer surf clams as food, their population will drop. There is no manmade substitute yet.
The study cited does not say the clam population will be reduced. It estimates that clam fishermen will have a more difficult time getting clams. I am not a liberal. Many of you proved my point. You are acting like the global warming doomsday people.
She was a lovely actress that “dear one” from Ridgewood, NJ who appeared on All My Children many, many years ago. Teen boys ran from the ocean beach at 1:00 P.M. to the television in the house for the “appointed Activity”. Oh how silly in retrospect… how fabulously youthful and gay.