###

At this week’s meeting in Half Moon Bay, the California Coastal Commission took its first look at a new plan to improve communications and foster trust between offshore wind developers and the state’s commercial fishing fleet.

In 2024, the California Coastal Commission and its staff assembled a working group of eight fishermen, five wind developers, three fisheries associations and three tribal members, along with representatives from various state and federal regulatory agencies, to work out a strategy to offset potential impacts associated with offshore wind development.

Over the past two years, the working group has convened eight multi-day meetings to hash out its differences and come up with a playbook for offshore wind developers that recognizes and protects the economic and cultural importance of California’s fisheries. Through these discussions, the working group developed a draft plan – Statewide Strategy for the Coexistence of California Fishing Communities and Offshore Wind Energy – that outlines potential mitigation measures developers can take to minimize impacts to fishing communities “in a manner that prioritizes fishery productivity, viability, and long-term resilience.

The 422-page document outlines best practices for data collection and survey work, mitigation measures and effective communication with fisheries. It also provides special considerations for tribal communities and a socioeconomic analysis of commercial fisheries, including a guiding framework to establish compensation programs and resiliency funds “intended to help potentially affected fishing communities respond and adapt to offshore wind projects.”

The document was developed as a part of SB 286, State Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire’s bill aimed at streamlining permitting for offshore wind developments. The bill requires the Coastal Commission to develop and adopt a statewide strategy to address potential impacts to commercial and recreational fisheries by May 1. 

Speaking during the public comment period, McGuire commended the working group for meeting the deadline and putting together a strong policy that “protects California’s storied fishing grounds … and has tribal leaders at the table at every step of the way.” He also took the opportunity to make a small jab at the Trump administration.

McGuire | Screenshot

“The Trump administration today is saying that they’re going to put out an executive order to keep coal alive here in the United States of America,” McGuire said. “We know that the United States of America and the majority of its residents have already moved on. … You are preparing and laying the groundwork to ensure that offshore wind is a bright point in our renewable energy future, once the fascists are elected out.”

Several times during Wednesday’s presentation, staff and members of the working group reiterated that the strategic plan is a “living document” and will likely be subject to change years and decades down the line. That said, Mark Fina, a member of the working group and executive director of the California Wetfish Producers Association, asked that the language be left as-is for the time being. 

“It’s pretty tortured language … but I would suggest that it not be tweaked and edited,” Fina said. “The committee went over words very closely, and I just think now is not the time to kind of play with wording. I think it’s worth letting this document rest for a while [to] let people digest it … [because] no developments are happening in the very near future. … In terms of dealing with each other, it has good ground rules that will guide expectations and actions.”

Ken Bates, a working group member and longtime advocate for both local and state fisheries, urged the Coastal Commission to use the document to establish conditions that “have the force and effect of the law and minimize impacts to fishermen and fishing communities.”

“Permit conditions should include robust funding for long-term fishing community resiliency in light of the irreplaceable fishing ground loss that the footprints of these projects take up,” Bates said. “I would point out … that the Coastal Commission is the only state agency with specific provisions for protecting and enhancing commercial fishing activities within the [its] charter.”

Representative of Vineyard Offshore and RWE, the developers who purchased leases in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area, participated in the working group as well. Rick Robins, director of marine affairs for RWE said the draft plan “provides an important foundation for successful coordination throughout the life cycle of the development process.”

Robins | Screenshot

“We all learned a lot from each other as we developed the strategy,” he said. “It really would be hard to overstate how much effort went into the process. The strategy provides clear and practical guidance to support the responsible development of offshore wind in California and to promote successful coexistence with the fishing industry.”

Humboldt County Supervisor and Commissioner Mike Wilson joined commissioners in thanking the working group for their contributions to the report, but emphasized that there is still work to be done.

“When we’re in these processes, [I have to] remind myself that we’re pursuing offshore wind, and specifically floating offshore wind, to address a crisis, and that crisis will impact the ocean that we’re talking about,” he said. “The crisis isn’t just sea level rise … we’re also talking about warming and … seeing changes in where species can survive.”

If you missed Wednesday’s meeting, you’ll have a few opportunities to give your two cents before the strategic plan comes back to the commission for adoption. There will be a tribal roundtable at 10 a.m. on Feb. 9  and fishery-centric meetings at 1 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 9 a.m. on Feb 20.

The document will come back to the commission in April.