Meny
Swedish Pelagic Federation Producer Organization (SPF) represents all Swedish fishing vessels in the pelagic fishery, including the herring and sprat fishery in the Baltic Sea. Every year our members account for approximately 90 percent of the total fished volume in Sweden. We thank you for the opportunity to submit our comments.
The planned wind farm Baltica – 1 in the Polish exclusive economic zone can potentially have a negative effect on fish stocks caught by Swedish fishermen through e.g. underwater noise, vibrations, changing currents, sedimentation or electromagnetic fields around cables. The present knowledge about these influencing factors and their effect on the underwater fauna is severely lacking. SPF therefore consider that it is of utmost importance that these factors and their cumulative effects on fish and other underwater fauna are carefully investigated in the forthcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Possible negative effects from a wind farm on fish spawning, foraging for food, migrations etc. may pose serious consequences in the long term for our members, if important fish stocks are affected negatively.
We particularly want to point out the importance of examining the expected effects during the project’s operational phase. In the information sent to us the description of the project’s possible transboundary effects focused on effects during the construction of the park (e.g from underwater noise and sedimentation). These risks must be addressed. However, we are equally concerned about possible effects of permanent, low frequency underwater noise during operation. Furthermore, changed current and turbulence during operation can possibly causes sedimentation during operation and cause negative effects on the ecosystem in the surrounding areas. We are of the opinion that factors that might appear during the operation phase should also be analysed in the IEA report.
SPF believes that Sweden should participate in the continued progress of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). It is essential that the possible effects of the planned wind farm on fish stocks in the Baltic Sea are carefully investigated and that the cumulative effects of this and other planned and existing wind farms in the Baltic Sea are taken into account in the analysis.
The EIA should describe the expected effects on the fish stocks and fishery during both construction and continuous operation and decommissioning of the wind farm. For fishing practices, a reference timeframe of at least 10-15 years (preferably a period that is as long as the expected life of the park) should be used because stock development and thus fishing varies over time. Apart from volume fished, performed trawl hauls should be studied to give a better picture of fishing patterns in the area and thus how the fishing will be affected by the planned wind park.
Annelie Rosell, SPF
