SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, July 25 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Wind Energy Association (AEE) has stated that in the two years of operation of the offshore wind farm installed on the coast of Viana do Castelo (Portugal), at a global and individual level in practically all species, there has been no reduction in fishing catches, and has specified that in 2021 and 2022 the total volume of catches and their economic value has experienced a significant increase compared to the years prior to the construction of the park.
This was stated by the Wind Power Business Association following a visit by fishermen from the San Miguel de Tajao Brotherhood (Tenerife), together with several brotherhoods, producer organizations and fishermen’s associations from Portugal and Galicia, to the coast of Viana do Castelo, where three floating wind turbines are installed, similar to those that could be placed in Tenerife, and which they claimed were affecting the fishing areas.
The Association has clarified that in 2020, the year the park was built, there has been a reduction in catches in Viana do Castelo as in the rest of the country, although they clarify that it is not possible to clearly differentiate what part has been due to the park’s construction activity and what part has been due to the impact of the restrictions derived from Covid, since a similar reduction is observed throughout the country.
In this regard, AEE points out that the reduction in 2020 has been a one-off event, since the following year the fishing levels prior to the construction of the park (and/or those of the impact of the Covid restrictions) have recovered and even exceeded.
The Association emphasizes that the only species in which a reduction is observed is mackerel, although it specifies that its effect is global in Portugal and has nothing to do with the offshore wind farm.
Thus, from AEE they emphasize that the annual variations in the catches of different species (both in other ports in Portugal and in Viana do Castelo in years prior to the existence of the park) “are a constant in the marine environment and it can never be concluded that an effect observed on catches could be a consequence, negative or positive, of the presence of the offshore wind farm”.
CATCH DATA IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
According to data on fishing published by the National Institute of Statistics of Portugal, together with the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services, the average landings of the last ten years (2012 to 2021) in Viana do Castelo has been 2,367 tons per year. And in 2020, the year the WFA wind farm was built, the total landings in Viana do Castelo was 2,010 tons, 15.1% lower than the average for those ten years.
In continental Portugal as a whole, there was also a reduction in fishing landings of 15.4% in relation to the average of those ten years. In other words, the reduction in catches in 2020 in Viana do Castelo is equivalent to that experienced in the rest of Portugal, so “it cannot be inferred that it was due to the construction of the wind farm. On the contrary, it is likely that the specific reduction during 2020 was affected by the effect of the COVID restrictions on fishing activity”, as pointed out by the Wind Business Association.
In 2021, the first year of operation of the WFA wind farm, landings in Viana do Castelo have amounted to 2,887 tons, the highest figure in the last ten years, 22% higher than the average for those years. Also at the total level of mainland Portugal there has been an increase compared to the average of the last ten years, although only 6.7%.
In 2022, the second year of operation of the wind farm, landings in Viana do Castelo have remained at levels similar to the previous year, with a catch volume of 2,771 tons. In addition, in 2022 the maximum economic contribution of 11.2 million euros has been reached. In the rest of mainland Portugal, both the volume of catches and their economic valuation have experienced a decrease compared to 2021, while in Viana do Castelo they are maintained or increased.
Analyzing 2021 by groups of species, 71% of the landings in Viana do Castelo correspond to marine fish (sardine, horse mackerel, conger eel, pout, sea bass, tuna and sole, mainly), 19% to mollusks (mostly octopus) and the rest are crustaceans and other diverse species.
EVOLUTION OF FISHING IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
In 2021 there has been an increase in sardine catches in Viana do Castelo and also throughout continental Portugal (+85.4%). Likewise, there has been an increase in mackerel catches in 2021 (+8.7% in Viana do Castelo and +13.9% in the total for mainland Portugal). The variations between years are a constant, both at the level of Viana do Castelo and throughout Portugal. The 2021 catches landed in Viana do Castelo are similar to those of 2017 and the 2019 catches have been high.
In the rest of the species (except mackerel): conger eel, pout, sea bass, tuna, sole, rays, hake, bonito, sea bream, monkfish and various species, no notable reduction or increase was observed except for the usual variations between years.
The evolution of mackerel is very irregular between years, also observed throughout Portugal. Carrying out an analysis by port and going from north to south, it is verified that the reduction of 2021 in Viana do Castelo (8 tons in 2021 compared to the 73 tons on average for the period 2017-2021) is also observed and in a much more exaggerated way in other ports such as Matosinhos, Aveiro or Figueira da Foz. However, further to the center, in Peniche, Sesimbra or Sines there is also a decrease, but to a lesser extent. And continuing further south, in Lagos, Portimao and Olhao there is an increase. For some reason there has been a shift to the south in the catches of this species and from AEE they maintain that this has nothing to do with the offshore wind farm.
Landings of shellfish correspond practically entirely to octopus (98.6%). In 2020 there was a reduction in their catches, which in 2021 have recovered to normal levels.
From the perspective of the economic valuation of the catches, the years 2021 and 2022 have been the largest in the last decade. Octopus landings are the ones that represent the highest income, with the figures for 2021 being similar to those of previous years, except in 2020 due to what was previously explained about the decrease in catches, but highlighting the significant increase in 2022 in this species.
In the rest of the species, sea bass ranks second, followed by sardines, sole, tuna, pout, conger, etc. From AEE they specify that there is no species in which there is an observable reduction in income with respect to the years before the construction of the farm, except in the case of mackerel mentioned above and without any relation to the existence of the offshore wind farm.
On the other hand, according to data published by Datapescas where provisional data for 2021 can be consulted, landings in Viana do Castelo amount to 2,770 tons, once again much higher than the average between 2012 and 2021, being the second year with the highest landings after 2021. On the other hand, the total in mainland Portugal in 2022 was 106,845 tons, a lower figure than the average. of the previous ten years.