Wind farm shutdown will negatively affect fish stocks, anglers and hundreds of workers

FISHING REPORT

Matthew Giacona, the acting director of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, halted construction at Revolution Wind off Rhode Island on Friday, Aug. 22, because of, he stated, “national security interests of the United States and prevention of interference with reasonable uses of the exclusive economic zone.”

Revolution Wind is 80% built with 45 of 65 turbines installed. The project is estimated to cost more than $1 billion and, according to union officials, has generated about 1,000 jobs. 

I see negative climate impacts on the water every day and they have been created by humans burning fossil fuels and are growing exponentially. I cancel charter trips 20% more often now due to high seas and storms.

The administration of President Trump is creating unhealthy fish stocks in two ways — by deregulating fishing and by denying climate impacts on fish and habitat and increasing our nation’s focus on producing fossil fuels that continue to harm habitat, fish and fisheries.

Deregulation is simple to understand. Historically, we have opened and closed fisheries to make sure we maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels. When we get close to a science-based quota, we close a fishery. And when we have enough fish in the water, we open it.

We need to leave enough fish in the water so they reproduce at sustainable levels or they will be fished into extinction. Hundreds of fish stocks have been protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal fishing law of this nation that allows authorities to open and close fishing. The ability to do this effectively is being taken away by administration executive orders 14192 on deregulation and 14276 on seafood competitiveness.

These executive orders aim to deregulate seafood to enhance our nation’s trade balance by simply taking more fish. The answer to growing fish stocks is to support NOAA with full funding so it can conduct the proper science to meet changing ocean conditions, do appropriate stock assessments to identify the health and location of fish stocks and modernize its data systems to provide more robust fishing data.  Eliminating these programs will worsen fishing conditions.

The warming Earth and oceans (the warmest ever) from sunlight and greenhouse gases have created massive and frequent wildfires, horrific storms, flooding, sea level rise, ocean acidification and warming waters that have had negative impacts on fish reproduction along with stock shifts.

We have an influx of warm-water fish here, too, with the danger of overfishing them. Large animals such as the 800-pound bluefin tuna caught this month at the mouth of Narragansett Bay, sharks of all types, whales and porpoises are feeding just a mile or two off our coast due to warm water attracting robust bait profiles, the food they like to eat.

“It’s not about national security,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Reed disputed the administration’s rationale for stopping the work as the Defense Department and the U.S. Coast Guard was involved in reviewing the project with the Ocean Energy Management Bureau, as with all offshore wind development, to avoid conflicts with military operations and training.

Where’s the bite?

Freshwater fishing is still good. “Young anglers in our area are fishing local ponds at Melville and the Reservoir in Middletown with success,” said Chis Holland of Sam’s Bait & Tackle in Middletown.

Striped bass, bluefish. “We now have bait including Atlantic menhaden and peanut bunker in Greenwich Bay with anglers catching bluefish off Chepiwanoxet Point in Warwick,” said Tom Olson of Ponaug Bait & Tackle in Warwick. Declan O’Donnell of Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown reported: “Striped bass action has been consistent at Block Island. Fish are still ranging from 20 to 40 pounds, with some larger ones up to 50 pounds. The best bites have been early in the morning and late in the evening, with soft plastics and eel imitations.” Chris Holland of Sam’s Bait & Tackle in Middletown said: “Now that the water has cleaned up from the storm, anglers are catching striped bass and bluefish out in front of Newport and Middletown. A mixture of bait and eels is working best for shore and boat anglers.” On Sunday, angler Matt Haczynski reported a great striped bass bite in the West Passage right at the mouth. “Birds diving and fish busting from sunup till we left around 11 a.m.,” he said.

Bonito. “The bonito bite was excellent this past week around Block Island,” O’Donnell said. “These large schools seem to come and go. They should be around for a while and will start pushing closer to shore once bait leaves the ponds.”

Tautog. “Anglers are now targeting tautog, the water is clear, and they are starting to catch fish,” Holland said. ”We caught one 21-inch tautog fishing off Newport this Wednesday; all other fish were below the 16-inch minimum size.” O’Donnell reported: “Tautog fishing has been consistent around shallow rocky structures and wrecks in waters less than 30 feet. Keeper fish are averaging 3 to 5 pounds.”  Olson said: “No reports yet of keeper fish being caught in the Bay but some good reports from anglers fishing structure off Narragansett.”

Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting businessthat focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net, visit noflukefishing.blogspot.com or noflukefishing.com.

                                                                                      #