New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s designation of a new priority Wind Energy Area in the New York Bight:
“The Biden Administration’s designation today of new wind energy areas in the New York Bight leaves no doubt that America’s offshore wind industry is now in full gear. New Bedford has much at stake in these developments.
For nearly a decade, we have been positioning ourselves to become a leader in offshore wind, and will soon host the deployment of the Vineyard Wind project, America’s first industrial-scale offshore wind farm. As the industry rolls out, New Bedford will support wind farms not only off of Massachusetts but in the Bight as well, leading to the creation of well-paying jobs for our residents.
“At the same time, most of the seafood caught in the Bight, by dollar value, is landed in New Bedford, America’s top commercial fishing port. We are grateful that in determining the boundaries of the new wind energy areas, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has taken pains to balance the interests of the wind and fishing industries based on the best available scientific data. While some tailoring of the boundaries may be necessary to avoid the most heavily fished areas, the announcement represents substantial progress after years of inaction.
We look forward to our continued work with the Biden Administration to launch an industry that will be a pillar of America’s response to climate change, while preserving the established interests of commercial fishermen.” – Mayor Jon Mitchell
https://fisherynews.org/?p=775 I’d like to know your response to this. The most lucrative lobster and crab and squid grounds in the southern New England area 2 going to be shut down to fishing operations. As a fisherman of over 30 years out of the town of Fairhaven I and others would like to know why we are being left in the dark . The largest fishing city in the United States will no longer be New Bedford that’s a fact if these turbines are installed. Also how are there going to be all these jobs while on every ship they are foreign flagged vessels being operated by foreign people with one US fisheries observer. I think this is a travesty when they are going to put these towers out there while we are in the fight of our lives trying to fight against the government shutting us down over the North Atlantic Right Whale . So much more to this than just jobs for a few people. Livelihoods will be ruined cost of electricity will be through the roof and all to stop the use of fossil fuel. Just pure insanity !!!!