The North Devon Fishermen’s Association (NDFA) issued a statement saying that the information given by RWE npower renewables on the Atlantic Array’s impact on the fishing industry are incorrect and misleading.
According to the NDFA, during surveys that were monitoring the activity of vessels in the development site area, smaller vessels were not picked up because only those over 16 metres in length could be electronically recorded. Furthermore, the Association claims that the surveillance by a spotter plane was conducted very infrequently, so the under 16-metre fishing boats could have easily been fishing in other areas.
The North Devon Gazette quotes the Atlantic Array’s development manager , Robert Thornhill , as saying: “This information is supported by landings data collected by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), for ports around the Bristol Channel; vessel monitoring data covering vessels greater than 15 metres; and patrol sighting data collected by the MMO which covers vessels of all sizes.”
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Offshore WIND staff, August 16, 2012; Image: RWE