Recfishwest opposes offshore wind farm development in South West waters shallower than 200m

The State’s recreation fishing lobby group has revealed it opposes offshore wind development along the South West coast. Recfishwest revealed its position of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s proposed zone between Dawesville and Cape Naturaliste on Thursday, calling for wind farms to not be allowed in waters shallower than 200m. It has also raised concerns about a lack of clarity on potential exclusion zones around any offshore turbines. Operations manager Leyland Campbell highlighted the group’s concerns about the “massive” zone, which stands at 7674sqkm. “A significant proportion of this area contains critical fish habitat including seagrass meadows and large areas of coral and sponge gardens, which among other things support dhufish spawning aggregations, and includes popular fishing areas such as Naturaliste Reef and fish aggregation device grounds,” he said. In its submission to DCCEEW, Recfishwest requested offshore wind farm developments not be allowed to occur in waters shallower than 200m, which if implemented would result in wind turbines not being able to be any closer than 55km from the coastline. The organisation said it surveyed hundreds of fishers in the proposed area, with more than 95 per cent of recreational fishing activity occurring within shallower depths. Recfishwest has also criticised gaps in DCCEEW’s policies and offshore wind farm proposals in the area, including the potential for exclusion zones around turbines. Mr Leyland said the group would not support any project which imposed access restrictions. “As a matter of priority, offshore wind energy projects must provide clarity as to their impacts on fishing access and must avoid important habitats such as spawning areas, nursery grounds and popular fishing locations,” he said. Recfishwest’s position statement on offshore wind energy, released in May 2022, states the organisation will only support projects which “improve recreational fishing experiences with no net loss of amenity”. It comes after the WA Fishing Industry Council raised its concerns, claiming turbines in the proposed area would destroy reefs and fish habitat, as well as restrict access to shipping lanes. The public consultation period for the zone closed on Friday.