PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 24, 2021
Tension between the lobster industry and offshore wind developers are at a boil after a large protest by fishermen Sunday was followed by a confrontation Monday.. “We’re at war with windmills,” one fisherman said. For the sake of everyone involved, let’s turn down the heat. The ocean has for generations supported families along the coast. There’s no reason that has to change, even if the lobster industry has to begin sharing some of the ocean. Lobster fishing is a $485 million-a-year industry in Maine. Offshore wind isn’t there yet, but its potential is huge. Built out, offshore wind could be a major component of eliminating emissions and slowing climate change, which is causing rapidly warming waters off the coast of Maine, threatening the lobster industry. It’s a big ocean. It can fit both turbines and traps. For the sake of Maine’s future, let’s find a way.