Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fisheries And Species topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel: link between offshore wind and whale deaths unproven; entanglement and vessel strikes cited
Summary
Panelists and scientists on the panel said current evidence does not prove offshore wind has killed whales, that entanglement and vessel strikes explain many observed deaths, and that monitoring and mitigation measures (seasonal work windows, mammal observers, acoustic monitoring) are being used.
Panelists addressed concerns about whales and fisheries, saying the available evidence points primarily to entanglement and vessel strikes as leading causes of right whale mortality rather than offshore wind construction. Aimee Robinson noted that "NOAA has released a statement that ... they haven't found proof that a whale has been killed by offshore wind directly."
Panelists described mitigation measures used during construction — protected‑species observers, passive acoustic monitoring, shutdown protocols and seasonal restrictions on pile driving — and said fisheries monitoring and directed research (including EMF surveys) are underway. Julia Livermore emphasized that DEM focuses on fisheries science and data collection and that many fishing‑activity datasets are proprietary, which complicates impact assessment. Panelists said more research and transparent data-sharing are needed to resolve outstanding questions.
