Collaboration Aids Fishermen and Offshore Wind Management

The Takeaway: Fine-scale maps of Virginia fishing locations will aid future planning efforts.

With the advent of offshore wind energy interests, Virginia’s fishing communities needed help identifying and safeguarding fishing areas vital to their livelihoods. State and federal representatives partnered with these communities to develop fine-scale maps of fishing locations in and around potential offshore wind areas. The partners also proposed offshore wind management recommendations that could maximize fishing opportunities. Fishermen from Rhode Island and Great Britain were brought to Virginia to share their experiences.

Lessons learned were included in Virginia’s management recommendations, which are now available to offshore wind developers. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, and Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy were major partners in this effort. (2017)

More Information: Collaborative Fisheries Planning for Offshore Wind Areas

Partners: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, The Nature Conservancy, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Virginia Commonwealth University