Fisheries Interactions with Marine Renewable Energy Development

Webinar #13 in Annex IV Environmental Webinar Series

Sponsored by Ocean Energy Systems (OES)
June 19, 2017 @ 15:00 - 16:30 UTC

Summary
This webinar will look at the socio-economic impacts of marine renewable energy (MRE) projects around commercial fisheries by exploring the attitudes of fishermen towards MRE projects under development and perceived socio-economic impacts and opportunities, as well as the co-occurrence and nature of potential interactions between these two industries.

The presentation is available here.

Presenters

Kieran Reilly, Researcher, Center for Marine and Renewable Energy (MaREI), University College Cork
Kieran's presentation will provide information on three case studies involving MRE projects around the island of Ireland at various stages of planning and development. A mixed methods approach, which consisted of a survey and follow-up interview, was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data on the attitudes of fishermen at the case study sites towards the MRE developments. Information was also gathered on the perceived socio-economic impacts and opportunities for fishermen and potential mitigation options.

Kieran received a Masters in Economic and Environmental Modeling in 2011 from the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 2016, he completed his PhD thesis on “The socio-economic interactions of marine renewable energy development and the commercial fishing industry on the island of Ireland” at MaREI and subsequently worked on community ownership of wind renewable energy projects in Ireland for MaREI.

Michael Bell, Research Associate, International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT), Heriot-Watt University
Michael's s presentation examines the extent to which fisheries and MRE developments are likely to come into contact with one another given spatial overlaps in their resources, and considers the nature of any potential interactions.  Sharing of sea space is likely to offer opportunities as well as conflicts between the two industries, but this depends on both the scale of developments and the behaviour of target species.  Data are shown on the distribution of the Orkney inshore fishing fleet in relation to areas leased for wave and tidal energy developments.

Michael is a fisheries scientist and marine biologist with research interests in sustainable fisheries and interactions with marine renewables.  His previous research roles include working in the research department of a wildfowl conservation NGO and working for a government agency providing management advice and science in support of sustainable shellfisheries management.  He has worked at the International Centre for Island Technology, Heriot-Watt University’s Orkney campus, since 2008, with research focused on the environmental and ecological consequences of wave and tidal energy extraction, together with an increasing focus on inshore fishery sustainability.

A video recording of the webinar is posted below: