Tag Archives: Figueira da Foz

Fishermen threaten to ‘stop fishing’, take legal action over massive block of offshore wind farms

Fishing boat owners in the north are threatening to stop fishing, and file injunctions with Europe, over the proposed creation of a massive block of offshore wind farms, which they have claimed will turn rich fishing areas into comparative deserts. The situation is that six new windfarms are planned for the areas off Sines, Ericeira, Figueira da Foz, Leixões and Viana do Castelo, where a small offshore wind farm has been operating since 2020, with three turbines that have already produced clean energy to serve the equivalent of 60,000 people but have also shown fishermen how fish have effectively ‘vanished’ from the waters. Earlier this year, 15 associations went public with the warning that if two wind farms are sanctioned off Viana do Castelo (as is the plan), authorities may as well issue “a death certificate for fishing”, as all the fish – on which hundreds of boats/ families and local businesses depend will disappear. >>click to read<< 10:08

Portugal: Fishermen ‘betrayed’ over wind farms request urgent parliamentary meeting

The movement of fishing associations that has emerged from the government’s latest wind farm policy has described today how it feels utterly betrayed. “We feel that the government has betrayed the fishing sector” by setting the country on course to have what he believes will be “the largest oceanic desert in the world”, all in the name of renewable energies. Yes, wind energy will be produced – but at the cost of the livelihoods of traditional fishermen who will be banned from fishing their usual routes, even if the fish remain available. As reports have explained at stake is the proposal (currently under public consultation) to create five areas for off-shore wind farms near Viana do Castelo, Leixões, Figueira da Foz, Ericeira-Cascais and Sines. >click to read< 14:47