16/07/2003

Offshore wind farms could threaten future of fishing industry

The livelihoods of hundreds of Britain's fishermen could be put at risk by the Government's plans to build offshore wind farms, it has been claimed.

Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt announced on Monday that the Government would be issuing licences for large areas of offshore seabed for the purposes of establishing wind farms, with the aim of harnessing wind power to produce 5% of the UK's energy requirements.

However, the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) has hit back at the move, claiming that the turbines would prove disruptive to breeding patterns of fish, as well as adding hours onto fishing journeys, posing a serious threat to the economic future of Britain's fishing industry. The organisation estimated that those likely to be hardest hit by the development would be those operating from smaller boats, many of whom could be put out of business by wind farms.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has also voiced concerns about the possible environmental impact of offshore wind farms, which have been welcomed by many environmental organisations as providing a "clean, green" form of power.

(CL)




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