The Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law and the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program partnered to produce a series of 14 legal and policy reports on offshore wind. Two of the reports were written in response to questions submitted by CT Sea Grant in response to requests from a a CT seafood harvesters advisory panel.
“Vessel Liability for Allisions and Gear Entanglements with Offshore Wind Turbines,” examines concerns have been raised by the commercial fishing industry about liability issues that could arise from navigation and fishing around offshore wind farms. An additional concern focuses on crew and safety requirements for vessels operating within a wind farm. To date no legal cases have dealt with vessel or gear damage to turbines or transmission lines, nor are there any safety requirements specific to vessels operating within wind farms. This document therefore provides a hypothetical analysis to answer these concerns. Read the complete summary here.
“Fisheries Compensation Agreements & Offshore Wind” responds to questions about funds established by several developers of offshore wind projects in the Northeast to compensate fishers impacted by reduced harvests due to loss of access to fishing grounds or damage to fish habitats. The funds are intended to offset the impacts of offshore wind and support the coexistence of both industries. Two main types of funds have emerged: one to compensate fishers for direct impacts from a particular project, and another that provides general support to fishing or coastal communities. Other funds support fishers in upgrading navigational equipment or accessing training opportunities. Due to the rapidly emerging nature of this industry, there is wide variation among the individual offshore wind developers in the types of compensation agreements they have established. Read the complete summary here.
All the reports were authored by Chris Perrett, research attorney. All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the Marine Affairs Institute. These reports is provided only for informational and educational purposes and is not legal advice.
The entire collection of reports can be found here.