Balance fishing and wind energy

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to employ offshore wind as part of his ambitious renewable energy strategy for New York [“Wind project off LI named Empire Wind,” News, Oct. 24]. One such wind farm is in the planning stages for construction off Long Island’s South Shore.

However, the siting and blueprints for the farm show that economic impact on local fishing communities of this project have been underestimated.

Fishermen claim that already established offshore farms, such as the one off the coast of Block Island, have harmed livelihoods of both local and traveling fishermen by impacting ecological communities, disrupting fishing projects directly by messing up nets and trawlers, and usurping areas that before the farm’s presence consisted of tremendously productive fishing grounds.

Members and representatives of the fishing industry are worried that their governments are prioritizing renewable energy and jobs over their livelihoods. The State of New York, the Long Island Power Authority, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and private electricity generation companies must thoroughly evaluate the unintended impacts on the fishing industry, and ultimately work with its members to reach an agreeable solution while still pushing toward Cuomo’s renewable energy goals.

John Finlay, Syracuse

Editor’s note: The writer is a master’s student in sustainable energy at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.