By 2023 the first commercial-scale wind farm, constructed by Vineyard Wind, is expected to deliver enough energy to Massachusetts to power 400,000 homes and businesses. But fishing communities are pushing back against development, arguing that it will alter natural ecosystems and negatively impact livelihoods.

In 2016, the first wind farm in the United States was established off the coast of Block Island in Rhode Island, with just five wind turbines. Construction is now underway to bring 62 turbines to the region. Known as Vineyard Wind 1, the new wind farm will sit approximately 24 kilometers off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. The farms are one component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to expand green energy initiatives.

Local fishers, however, are raising concerns about the offshore wind farm, arguing that the development represents a threat to their livelihoods and the environment. And the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) recently filed a legal challenge with the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking them to review the decision to approve Vineyard Wind 1.

Fiona Hogan, Research Director for RODA, explains that the development will alter ecosystems. Mussels, for example, may find more favorable conditions, and will be drawn to the turbines and structures holding them in place—a trend observed in the United Kingdom where commercial wind farms are already operational.

In other cases, turbines may lead to population decline. Some fisheries “are very concerned over squid because they’re highly sensitive to noise. And turbines are not quiet,” Hogan tells Food Tank. According to research from the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics, noise pollution can result in trauma for species, including squid and octopuses. She continues, “If squid are particularly sensitive to noise, that could cause mortality and…have a lasting effect if their population decreases.”

Read the full article about fishing communities by Elena Seeley at Food Tank.