Wind farm threat to Fife fishermen is ‘hidden scandal of our time’, says former minister

Fife fishermen say offshore wind farms threaten their livelihoods and call for compensation as MSPs urge fairer policies.

Scotland’s former Energy Minister Fergus Ewing and North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie are backing Fife fishermen who say North Sea wind farms are threatening livelihoods.

Mr Ewing, who was heavily involved in shaping Scotland’s renewable energy policy, said inshore fishermen along Scotland’s east coast are “hidden victims” of the push for offshore wind.

He described their plight as the “hidden scandal of our time.”

The Inverness and Nairn MSP, now sitting as an independent, told The Courier he feels “very strongly” about the issue after months of discussions with fishermen in Pittenweem and Port Seton.

He has written to Fisheries Minister Jim Fairlie and is liaising with Mr Rennie, the local Liberal Democrat MSP for North East Fife, ahead of the issue being raised in the Scottish Parliament.

“Inshore fishermen along our east coast are hidden victims of the dash to offshore wind,” said Mr Ewing, who was Scotland’s Energy Minister from 2007 to 2016 and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy from 2016 to 2021.

“This is because the installations and cables to connect them to the onshore grid prevent them from fishing in their traditional grounds.

“When I was the Energy Minister I argued for and insisted upon conditions attached to the consents for offshore wind to protect the interests of fishermen. After all, as I said then and say now: They were there first.”

Fishermen’s interests being ‘trampled’

Mr Ewing, who has become an outspoken defender of Scotland’s fishing and rural industries, often clashing with his former SNP party leadership, said the situation has left fishing crews facing restrictions with little in return.

He says that Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) rules mean that they cannot in practice fish these areas, even though offshore voices assert the contrary.

“This is for the simple reason that they are not in accordance with the rules that govern their fishing activity to fish within a quarter of a nautical mile of any cabling,” he said.

“Moreover, if they breach that rule then their insurance cover is vitiated.

“That means that not only are they banned from these areas, but also they have been denied compensation.”

Mr Ewing said that fishermen are part of Scotland’s history and culture. They risk their lives to deliver the “delicious fruits of the sea”.

Yet he added: “It is a hidden scandal of our time, that in what now appears to be a headline dash to offshore wind, our inshore fishermen’s interests are being trampled on.

“Worst of all the Scottish Government now pretend that there is no problem, and seem to have no interest in the future of our precious fishing industry.

“That was the case when they introduced, without a scrap of science, the proposed Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) which would have banned them from vast swathes of the sea. I tore up that plan.

“It’s time to tear up the policy which punishes our very own fishermen and provide them with the decent deal they deserve.”

North East Fife MSP calls for fair deal

North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie said he has been working with local fishermen for years to ensure they are not “squeezed out of existence” by the offshore wind industry.

“The wind farm companies and the offshore wind consenting process pays too little attention to the route of the huge undersea cables necessary to connect the turbines to the national grid,” Mr Rennie said.

“They seem not to care if they go right through the middle of prime fishing grounds. That should change so that they are required to avoid those areas.

“There is also no obligation on new wind farms to use the same routes for cables as the old ones. If they did they could avoid other prime fishing grounds. I’d like to see that changed too.

“Fishermen are nervous about trawling across cables in case they damage the cable and their gear. I am told by the wind farm companies that the cables won’t be affected but they need to work harder to build confidence in the fishing industry.”

Mr Rennie also expressed frustration that new wind farm companies are not following the lead of the NNG wind farm which paid compensation to the mobile fleet (prawn trawlers etc) as well as the static fleet (creels etc.).

He added: “NNG paid compensation for the disruption during construction as well as longer term disruption. They should all follow NNG.”

Fishermen fear industry collapse

The intervention from both MSPs comes as Fife prawn fishermen warn their industry risks collapse.

As reported by The Courier in recent weeks, Pittenweem and Methil-based prawn and razor clam skippers are particularly concerned about a 75km subsea export cable linking the Inch Cape wind farm to Cockenzie. It has shut them out of valuable waters.

The Fishermen’s Mutual Association (Pittenweem) Ltd has warned the £4 million local prawn industry could be wiped out unless compensation is offered to sustain vessels during construction.

Their concerns echo those of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, which has called for a moratorium on new offshore wind consents.

Fife’s concerns have been backed by the Cockenzie and Port Seton Fishermen’s Association on the Lothian side of the Forth.

Developers and government respond

Inch Cape Offshore has told The Courier they are in “continued dialogue” with fishers with the aim of coexistence whenever possible. Any claims for compensation are managed by their fisheries liaison experts in line with accepted industry guidelines.

The company also said it has “agreed and offered cooperation agreements with all the fishers using static fishing gear in the areas affected by our activity.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government has defended the offshore programme, saying renewable energy is essential to meeting net-zero targets and that all projects are subject to “robust determination processes.”