Fishermen facing headwinds : a quantitative approach to evaluating fishing grounds and measuring the impact of offshore wind on the commercial fishing industry
Abstract
In this thesis, we investigate the impact of developing offshore wind farms in Træna on
the local community and the fleet operating in the respective areas. In particular, we
evaluate the catch value within each offshore wind farm area, and measure the following
externalities, specifically detours caused by spatial occupation.
We develop a model that locates catch value using position data and apply the distribution
of this catch value to data without coordinates to create the best possible value estimate
of specific areas, as well as using the position data to estimate detours and the consequent
externalities of the detours. Our findings suggest that the negative impact of offshore
wind on the commercial fishing industry, compared to the uncertainties surrounding future
profitability of offshore wind, advocate that the decision regarding development of offshore
wind in Træna should be made in coexistence with fishermen and that their opinions
should weigh heavily.