Image courtesy Equinor
Energy company Equinor has proposed running an offshore power cable from wind turbines through waters off of Montauk.
The transmission cable would send power from Beacon Wind 1, a proposed Equinor wind farm 60 miles off of eastern Long Island.
Long Island fishermen have raised concerns regarding how offshore wind would affect their prime fishing grounds. Some of the possible effects include displacing fish populations, navigational hazards and a loss of income for the industry.
Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, said she felt blindsided by the announcement and that there has been minimal communication between Equinor and fishermen.
Energy giant to hold forum with fishermen over cross-Sound cable route newsday.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsday.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(Credit: Courtesy photo)
On Monday, Suffolk County released a Long Island Commercial Fishing Survey, which aims to help the county develop an up-to-date profile of Long Island’s commercial fishing industry. Commercial fishing was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to County Executive Steve Bellone.
Last year, COVID-19 caused restaurants across the state to operate at limited capacity in order to protect public health, leading to a loss of business for commercial fishermen.
“The information and data collected through the survey will highlight the needs of local fishermen and will guide and assist agencies in providing the resources necessary to continue to support a viable and sustainable fishing industry,” Mr. Bellone said. “The survey will differ from years prior by including targeted questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected commercial fishermenn on Long Island.”
Get our free LIBN e-alerts & breaking news notifications!
A push to boost commercial fishing, post-COVID By: Adina Genn April 27, 2021 Comments Off on A push to boost commercial fishing, post-COVID
Even without a pandemic, commercial fishing is a challenging industry.
There are natural disasters and adverse conditions, overfished areas and the list goes on. With the pandemics, the industry suffered on Long Island as restaurants all but shut down, wiping away an important client base for commercial fishing.
As the economy continues to reopen, Suffolk County has launched a survey aimed at developing a real-time snapshot of the Long Island commercial fishing industry, which officials say has been “especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a press release from the county.
Long Island’s waterways captured by local fisherman Chris Hamilton. (Courtesy photo)
On Monday, Suffolk County released a Long Island Commercial Fishing Survey, which aims to help the county develop an up-to-date profile of Long Island’s commercial fishing industry. Commercial fishing was hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to County Executive Steve Bellone.
Last year, COVID-19 caused restaurants across the state to operate at limited capacity in order to protect public health, leading to a loss of business for commercial fishers.
“The information and data collected through the survey will highlight the needs of local fishermen and will guide and assist agencies in providing the resources necessary to continue to support a viable and sustainable fishing industry,” Mr. Bellone said. “The survey will differ from years prior by including targeted questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected commercial fisherman on Long Island.”