Wind farm developers pledge €500,000 to local fisheries industry

Backers of the Codling Wind Park off the east coast have pledged €500,000 to aid the local fishing industry.

French giant EDF Renewables and Norway’s Fred Olsen Seawind plan a €2 billion wind farm off the Wicklow coast, one of several projects in the pipeline for the Irish Sea.

The joint venture has earmarked €500,000 to support the fishing industry operating in and around the Codling Bank area of the Irish Sea, which it will pay over five years. Codling Wind Park is in talks with industry representatives and has asked them for proposals on how the cash should be used. The wind farm developers say the cash can be used to support inshore and offshore fishing in the area.

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The company has already proposed building a hatchery to raise young lobsters for release back into the sea to boost fishing opportunities.

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Codling Wind Park has published a fisheries code of practice to guide its dealings with the fishing industry and its care of marine life. The company noted that the charter was the first of its kind in the Republic and would commit it to a “range of sustainable development practices”.

Supporting initiatives

Scott Sutherland, Codling’s project co-director, said the cash would support initiatives to benefit fishing communities. “For example, adding value to a fishery, improving port infrastructure, improving safety or exploring innovation and fishery diversification,” he explained.

Codling Wind Park will be located around 13km to 22km off the Wicklow coast, between Greystones and Wicklow town. It will generate up to 1,450 megawatts of electricity when fully operational, which its developers say is enough to power about 1.2 million homes.

Anyone who wants to submit a proposal on where to spend the money should contact Codling’s fisheries engagement manager, Courtney French, said Codling.