Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Wave Energy Development: What are the impacts to fish and other marine life?
California's North Coast and the Oregon Coast are the target of wave energy development in a fast-track process by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This aggressive development of wave energy without significant public participation and environmental analysis occurs as the Bush administration has lifted the moratorium on offshore oil drilling.
To proceed ahead with any type of energy development on our coastal waters, whether wave energy or oil drilling, is insane when West Coast salmon are in their greatest crisis ever. All commercial and recreational fishing for salmon is closed in ocean waters off California and Oregon this year, due to the unprecedented collapse of Central Valley salmon. A coalition of fishing groups, environmental organizations and Indian Tribes believes the key cause of the collapse is massive increases in water exports from the California Delta in recent years and declining water quality.
The last thing we need during this time of severe environmental and economic crisis on the California and Oregon coast is haphazard, environmentally destructive energy development to pound the final nail in the coffin of West Coast salmon and other fish.
This excellent article by Jim Martin discloses how FERC is stalling the request by North Coast fishermen for a rehearing on wave energy development.
Photo courtesy of MendoCoastCurrent.
To proceed ahead with any type of energy development on our coastal waters, whether wave energy or oil drilling, is insane when West Coast salmon are in their greatest crisis ever. All commercial and recreational fishing for salmon is closed in ocean waters off California and Oregon this year, due to the unprecedented collapse of Central Valley salmon. A coalition of fishing groups, environmental organizations and Indian Tribes believes the key cause of the collapse is massive increases in water exports from the California Delta in recent years and declining water quality.
The last thing we need during this time of severe environmental and economic crisis on the California and Oregon coast is haphazard, environmentally destructive energy development to pound the final nail in the coffin of West Coast salmon and other fish.
This excellent article by Jim Martin discloses how FERC is stalling the request by North Coast fishermen for a rehearing on wave energy development.
Photo courtesy of MendoCoastCurrent.
FERC Stalls Fishermen’s Request For Rehearing On Wave Energy Development
by Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director, Recreational Fishing Alliance
An alliance of commercial and recreational fishing associations, Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics (FISH), today announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has extended the time to consider its requests for public participation and environmental analysis in developing national licensing regulations for wave energy generation projects known as “hydrokinetics.”
The FISH Committee requested that FERC conduct a public notice-and-comment rulemaking, prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and comply with other federal laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act. The County of Mendocino, the City of Fort Bragg, the Recreational Fishing Alliance, and Lincoln County, Oregon joined the FISH Committee’s request for a rehearing of FERC's policies.
"Hyrokinetic" energy projects include proposals for floating buoys in the ocean that convert the motion of the waves and tides into electricity, as well as submerged devices in rivers, bays and estuaries that convert tidal action into electricity using turbines.
The FISH Committee believes that national regulations, developed through public participation, with environmental analysis, are required before FERC starts issuing licenses for hydrokinetic projects, including offshore experimental wave farms. FERC has repeatedly rejected this idea, preferring to “get this stuff in the water and find out what it has to offer.” (FERC Commissioner Phil Moeller, New York Times, December 8th, 2007.) Unlike FERC, its sister federal agency the Minerals Management Service is using a public process to develop regulations for ocean wave energy projects, and has completed a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
Two wave energy projects are currently proposed for the coast off Mendocino County, in one of the most productive marine areas on the West Coast. One proposal covers 68 square miles, and the second covers 17 square miles. Both would require significant exclusion zones in the last remaining fishing grounds off Mendocino County. More than 200 hydrokinetic projects have been proposed across the United States.
"Naturally, fishermen are concerned whenever we hear proposals to close off big areas of the ocean to fishing, but we're just as concerned about the potential environmental impacts to marine species our fisheries depend on," said Jim Martin of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a national grassroots political lobby for saltwater sportfishermen, and one of the founding members of FISH. "We hope FERC uses the extra time it has extended itself to carefully consider these issues and do the right thing."
The FISH Committee includes the RFA, the North Coast Fishing Association, the Salmon Trollers Marketing Association, the Sea Vegetable Harvesters Coalition, Caito Fisheries, the Fishermen’s Marketing Association, the Salmon Restoration Association, the Sonoma County Abalone Network, and the California Sea Urchin Commission.
Potential negative impacts on marine life from wave buoys include electromagnetic pollution and interference with migratory finfish, whale entanglements and altering the bottom structure of the seabeds. Turbine devices submerged in rivers, bays and estuaries could entrain juvenile fish.
"We take this issue very seriously and, if necessary, intend to vigorously pursue our legal options," said John Innes, board member of the North Coast Fishing Association. "We are not opposed to renewable energy, we only want to make sure we know what the impacts will be to fish and other marine life before we sign off on these projects. Considering that wave energy is in its infancy, it is extremely important to have proper controls and regulations in place to prevent non-recoverable detrimental effects on our ocean environment."
The FISH Committee is considering its options including filing a lawsuit against FERC. FISH is working with Robert Gulley, a former Senior Trial Attorney in the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, in evaluating its options. Mr. Gulley previously represented the government in numerous fish and wildlife cases, including recent litigation over impacts on fish from the federal dams on the Columbia River.
Contact:
Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director, Recreational Fishing Alliance:
(707) 357-3422
Beth Mitchell, FERC Coordinator for Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics (FISH):
(707) 962-0617
John Innes, Director, North Coast Fishing Association:
(707) 937-1333
by Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director, Recreational Fishing Alliance
An alliance of commercial and recreational fishing associations, Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics (FISH), today announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has extended the time to consider its requests for public participation and environmental analysis in developing national licensing regulations for wave energy generation projects known as “hydrokinetics.”
The FISH Committee requested that FERC conduct a public notice-and-comment rulemaking, prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and comply with other federal laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act. The County of Mendocino, the City of Fort Bragg, the Recreational Fishing Alliance, and Lincoln County, Oregon joined the FISH Committee’s request for a rehearing of FERC's policies.
"Hyrokinetic" energy projects include proposals for floating buoys in the ocean that convert the motion of the waves and tides into electricity, as well as submerged devices in rivers, bays and estuaries that convert tidal action into electricity using turbines.
The FISH Committee believes that national regulations, developed through public participation, with environmental analysis, are required before FERC starts issuing licenses for hydrokinetic projects, including offshore experimental wave farms. FERC has repeatedly rejected this idea, preferring to “get this stuff in the water and find out what it has to offer.” (FERC Commissioner Phil Moeller, New York Times, December 8th, 2007.) Unlike FERC, its sister federal agency the Minerals Management Service is using a public process to develop regulations for ocean wave energy projects, and has completed a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
Two wave energy projects are currently proposed for the coast off Mendocino County, in one of the most productive marine areas on the West Coast. One proposal covers 68 square miles, and the second covers 17 square miles. Both would require significant exclusion zones in the last remaining fishing grounds off Mendocino County. More than 200 hydrokinetic projects have been proposed across the United States.
"Naturally, fishermen are concerned whenever we hear proposals to close off big areas of the ocean to fishing, but we're just as concerned about the potential environmental impacts to marine species our fisheries depend on," said Jim Martin of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a national grassroots political lobby for saltwater sportfishermen, and one of the founding members of FISH. "We hope FERC uses the extra time it has extended itself to carefully consider these issues and do the right thing."
The FISH Committee includes the RFA, the North Coast Fishing Association, the Salmon Trollers Marketing Association, the Sea Vegetable Harvesters Coalition, Caito Fisheries, the Fishermen’s Marketing Association, the Salmon Restoration Association, the Sonoma County Abalone Network, and the California Sea Urchin Commission.
Potential negative impacts on marine life from wave buoys include electromagnetic pollution and interference with migratory finfish, whale entanglements and altering the bottom structure of the seabeds. Turbine devices submerged in rivers, bays and estuaries could entrain juvenile fish.
"We take this issue very seriously and, if necessary, intend to vigorously pursue our legal options," said John Innes, board member of the North Coast Fishing Association. "We are not opposed to renewable energy, we only want to make sure we know what the impacts will be to fish and other marine life before we sign off on these projects. Considering that wave energy is in its infancy, it is extremely important to have proper controls and regulations in place to prevent non-recoverable detrimental effects on our ocean environment."
The FISH Committee is considering its options including filing a lawsuit against FERC. FISH is working with Robert Gulley, a former Senior Trial Attorney in the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, in evaluating its options. Mr. Gulley previously represented the government in numerous fish and wildlife cases, including recent litigation over impacts on fish from the federal dams on the Columbia River.
Contact:
Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director, Recreational Fishing Alliance:
(707) 357-3422
Beth Mitchell, FERC Coordinator for Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics (FISH):
(707) 962-0617
John Innes, Director, North Coast Fishing Association:
(707) 937-1333
Add Your Comments
Latest Comments
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.
TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
Salmon as an energy source
Wed, Aug 6, 2008 2:16PM
external constraints
Mon, Aug 4, 2008 7:39AM
well, what then, dan?
Mon, Aug 4, 2008 6:49AM
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$210.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network