Suggested areas for offshore wind around N.S. swell in size

Offshore areas around Nova Scotia recommended for wind energy projects have ballooned in size in the latest version of a report for government, troubling some in the fishing industry who are bracing for disruptions.

The draft final report comes from the regional assessment committee, which was tasked by the province and Ottawa two years ago to investigate the potential impacts of offshore wind development on Nova Scotia. 

It describes eight potential development areas that cover a total of 31,200 square kilometres. The areas stretch from the tip of George's Bank southwest of Nova Scotia, up the Atlantic coastline and around Cape Breton Island.

The potential development areas are: 

• Sydney Bight, 1,435 square kilometres.
• French Bank, 2,855 square kilometres.
• Middle Bank, 1,445 square kilometres.
• Sable Island Bank, 5,620 square kilometres.
• Western/Emerald Bank 13,170 square kilometres.
• Misaine Bank, 2,830 square kilometres.
• LaHave Bank, 3,415 square kilometres.
• Canso Bank, 430 square kilometres.

Two of the sites, Misaine Bank and LaHave Bank, are new additions since an interim report was released earlier this year. Five of the sites — Sydney Bight, French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank and Western/Emerald Bank — are significantly larger now than they were in the interim report. Taken together, the potential development areas have nearly tripled in size.

All of the areas overlap with fishing grounds, said Kris Vascotto, manager of the Nova Scotia Fisheries Alliance. 

Following the release of the updated report in late October, Vascotto said he shared the information with his organization's members.

"I can tell you within minutes of me distributing the maps I began to get calls from fishermen asking, 'OK, what is this actually going to mean?'"

Generally, Vascotto said it could mean some fishers lose access to part or all of their fishing grounds, or they could see changes in their catches because of disruptions to marine ecosystems.

But he said those outcomes will depend on which specific sites are chosen for projects, the technology the developers decide to use — such as fixed or floating turbines — and the type of fishing activity that happens in that area.

The provincial government is expected to open bids for the first round of offshore wind licences sometime next year, and it's not yet clear which offshore areas will be included in the call for bids.

Vascotto said he and others in the industry are now trying to make sure the regional assessment committee and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator have accurate information about what fishing activities are happening in areas where wind developers might want to go.

The regional assessment committee has five members, including retired Acadia University biology professor Graham Daborn. He said the potential development areas grew in number and size after the interim report in part because the committee gathered new information, and in part because the provincial government told the committee it was hoping for larger areas. 

Daborn said the concern from fishers is understandable. He said the potential development areas were chosen with the best available information, but he noted there are knowledge gaps that could limit governments' and regulators' ability to choose the best sites for wind development.

"And until you get those gaps filled in, you really can't make a very cogent decision about where you can go and where you couldn't go," he said. 

The regional assessment committee's new report has a section on data and knowledge gaps, and has several recommendations for closing them through research and collaboration between stakeholders.

Vanessa Byrne, director of fisheries management and science with the Atlantic Groundfish Council, said the uncertainty around how offshore wind farms could affect fisheries underscores the importance of doing a federal impact assessment for each proposed project.

She said each project should be assessed with fisheries in mind, with the goals of "avoidance first, mitigation second, compensation as a last resort."

The regional assessment committee's final report is expected in the new year.