Fisherfolk for Offshore Wind
CanaryMedia: "These fishermen made peace with offshore wind. Then Trump came along." Americaan fishermen's conflict started in the early 2000s, when the first plans for New England’s offshore wind areas were sketched out. In packed town hall meetings that often devolved into shouting matches, fishermen claimed projects would make it harder to earn a living: fewer fishing grounds, fewer fish, damaged ocean habitat." Many had voted for Trump. But few of their predictions of disaster have come to pass in places like the U.K., with its collection of over 50 offshore wind farms. "Wind areas there are thriving with sharks and serving as a surprising habitat for haddock." Contrawise, "fisher-led groups in the U.S. are spearheading lawsuits aiming to halt at least two offshore wind farms under construction on the East Coast." Featured in the photo, Yerman has become the reluctant face of a group of over 100 fishermen + fisherwomen who go by the name Sea Services North America. Working for offshore wind supplements their income from scalloping, a centuries-old bedrock of the New England fishing economy that has seen revenues dry up. These tensions have become supercharged with the election of Trump, who has called offshore wind “garbage” and “bullshit” and...pledged that “no new windmills” would be built in the U.S. during his presidency. He stopped new projects from proceeding + is attempting to block some of the country’s eight fully permitted offshore wind projects. Resisting these actions, "Sea Services [has been] an “indispensable partner” in helping to build South Fork Wind, which went online last year and became America’s first large-scale offshore wind project." Unlikely advocates for wind, but it proves that people can change.
