Offshore wind, local shops, crabbing, and more

[Chrisper4694]

Awesome discussion with Captain Greg Cudnik from Fisherman's Headquarters on this week's episode of NJ Multi Species Podcast.

He's super knowledgeable about many things in the fishing community and we hit on a lot of it.

He's a big part of fighting the offshore wind situation...
What is everyone's opinion about it?

Link to youtube episode below:

https://youtu.be/BwTqF4iUNAU?si=uWIzSi63Pq5qk3Dm

[hammer4reel]

Trump signed an executive order Order halting the offshore wind projects

[dales529]

Trump signed an executive order Order halting the offshore wind projects

Of course he did as things were better in the 1930's

[hammer4reel]

Of course he did as things were better in the 1930's

Offshore wind is the dumbest thing they have ever tried to do .
If you knew anything about electrical generation you would understand how bad it is .
Besides the corrosive environment .

There hasn’t been one single offshore project meet the 5 year guidelines for approvals . Most didn’t even make it a second year .

Why turn our fishing grounds into a junkyard

[Jigman13]

I applaud his stoppage of the wind farms. It's absurd.

We should focus on artificial reefs much like they use down in FL.

[bulletbob]

Offshore wind is the dumbest thing they have ever tried to do .
If you knew anything about electrical generation you would understand how bad it is .
Besides the corrosive environment .

There hasn’t been one single offshore project meet the 5 year guidelines for approvals . Most didn’t even make it a second year .

Why turn our fishing grounds into a junkyard

Because a ""junkyard"" if it were sunk to the bottom, would be absolutely teeming with invertebrates and fish life within the first year..

The bottom near the Block Island wind towers has become a great fishing area, loaded with life. I imagine some people screamed about offshore oil rigs as well years ago, yet Gulf anglers and charter captains would scream if they were removed these days.. Same story throughout European offshore wind farms.. Loaded with fish. I can understand if the towers were an eyesore for beachfront towns, but if they are beyond the horizon I just don't understand the consternation.. Lots of sand bottom out there with fairly sparse life.. Many anglers that are complaining would probably be among the first out there drifting around those steel supports. Look, I don't live there, and getting up in age so I have doubts it will ever affect me personally, but I don't understand the problem so many have with the towers that are proven fish magnets.. No one would complain a bit if they were going to sink 100 old barges out there.. Is it a visual thing?... Killing of some gulls and terns? Hopefully some cormorants as well!... I don't think they will generate enough power to even make them worthwhile, but from what I gather on these pages, its the environmental impact most are worried about.....

[reason162]

Trump signed an executive order Order halting the offshore wind projects

Handing China a huge win on day 1.

[hammer4reel]

Because a ""junkyard"" if it were sunk to the bottom, would be absolutely teeming with invertebrates and fish life within the first year..

The bottom near the Block Island wind towers has become a great fishing area, loaded with life. I imagine some people screamed about offshore oil rigs as well years ago, yet Gulf anglers and charter captains would scream if they were removed these days.. Same story throughout European offshore wind farms.. Loaded with fish. I can understand if the towers were an eyesore for beachfront towns, but if they are beyond the horizon I just don't understand the consternation.. Lots of sand bottom out there with fairly sparse life.. Many anglers that are complaining would probably be among the first out there drifting around those steel supports. Look, I don't live there, and getting up in age so I have doubts it will ever affect me personally, but I don't understand the problem so many have with the towers that are proven fish magnets.. No one would complain a bit if they were going to sink 100 old barges out there.. Is it a visual thing?... Killing of some gulls and terns? Hopefully some cormorants as well!... I don't think they will generate enough power to even make them worthwhile, but from what I gather on these pages, its the environmental impact most are worried about.....

They have to ruin bottom to drive the monopiles .
Areas that have been fished for centuries .
If you read the contracts the areas have a five year time frame where other boats are not allowed in the area .
After the 5 years they will decide IF you will be allowed to fish in the area or not .
IMO they will consider it a security area and not allow us to.
Once they start breaking apart as has happened at other pilot locations you definitely won’t be near them .
Wind turbines go into free spin at winds that we see daily . All the ORIGINAL info said the operate best between 10 to 20 knots . They now claim they don’t go into storm mode until 50. But knowing guys installing them inland they claim they go into free spin well lower than that .
It’s excessive wear and tear doing nothing .
It’s by far the most expensive way to produce electricity, and one of the least efficient .

We aren’t even allowed to blow out our slips disturbing silt deposits .
Yet they want to drive monopiles hundreds of feet into the sea , then dig trenches all over the Barneget bay to lay transmission lines .

The noise from the pile drivings as well as the testing required pushes fish away quickly .
Lots of video was done in Maryland showing how quick areas become void of life .
Are we supposed to wait 10 years to maybe have better fishing .

Solar fields are still being built at a ridiculous rate inland . Many don’t understand how bad we are contaminating the soils and aqua ferns with just their rain run off .
Fields they are built in are not allowed to remove them and even grow livestock crops for 100 years .

Much better ways to produce electricity without less damage to all the spots we get food from . Both on land and Oceanside .

[bulletbob]

Understood.. personally the only problem I would have would be access.. If it were open and free, no problem.. If the forbid it or restrict it in any way, big problem... Fishermen in Block Island pull up right against those stantions and start fishing, no worries.. I doubt NJ guys have much to fear anyway. It doesn't seem to have much support... bob

[hammer4reel]

Understood.. personally the only problem I would have would be access.. If it were open and free, no problem.. If the forbid it or restrict it in any way, big problem... Fishermen in Block Island pull up right against those stantions and start fishing, no worries.. I doubt NJ guys have much to fear anyway. It doesn't seem to have much support... bob

There was ALOT of area to be encompassed by turbines here .

[Chrisper4694]

Remember.... adding obvious structure like this doesnt magically make more fish appear. It draws from the biomass already nearby. Also the very obvious and easy to target structure now puts extra strain on the fishery due to the ease of targeting them.... and this is all a big HUGE IF they even allow vessels near them.... which, knowing our government, they will NOT.

We discuss all this in the episode as well.

[Jigman13]

The turbines off block island power next to nothing. Ask a block island local like I did while I was there 3 years ago. They still burn mostly fossil fuels for energy. The turbines generate next to nothing, and that's when they're actually working.

Do they draw fish? Yes. An artificial reef would've done the same without the eye sore of those ridiculous turbines.

This is the 2nd time it's been halted. I hope it stays that way.

[Chrisper4694]

The turbines off block island power next to nothing. Ask a block island local like I did while I was there 3 years ago. They still burn mostly fossil fuels for energy. The turbines generate next to nothing, and that's when they're actually working.

Do they draw fish? Yes. An artificial reef would've done the same without the eye sore of those ridiculous turbines.

This is the 2nd time it's been halted. I hope it stays that way.

Yeah, these hings just arent efficient enough for the power grids they supply here... its fact. People just like to pretend being pro wind makes them a good person i think idk. It defies logic.

[hammer4reel]

The turbines off block island power next to nothing. Ask a block island local like I did while I was there 3 years ago. They still burn mostly fossil fuels for energy. The turbines generate next to nothing, and that's when they're actually working.

Do they draw fish? Yes. An artificial reef would've done the same without the eye sore of those ridiculous turbines.

This is the 2nd time it's been halted. I hope it stays that way.

They really were not meant to .
It was a pilot project . They are done on a super small scale to work out the bugs before a large project is done .

They didn’t meet the requirements of five years to even be considered worthy of information besides it DIDNT work .
They are all offline , and like you said now a ridiculous eyesore .

[Jigman13]

Correct, sir. Now they'll slowly fall apart and become a navigational hazard lol.

They really were not meant to .
It was a pilot project . They are done on a super small scale to work out the bugs before a large project is done .

They didn’t meet the requirements of five years to even be considered worthy of information besides it DIDNT work .
They are all offline , and like you said now a ridiculous eyesore .

[hammer4reel]

Correct, sir. Now they'll slowly fall apart and become a navigational hazard lol.


ABSOLUTELY

[sbalewitz74]

Because a ""junkyard"" if it were sunk to the bottom, would be absolutely teeming with invertebrates and fish life within the first year..

The bottom near the Block Island wind towers has become a great fishing area, loaded with life. I imagine some people screamed about offshore oil rigs as well years ago, yet Gulf anglers and charter captains would scream if they were removed these days.. Same story throughout European offshore wind farms.. Loaded with fish. I can understand if the towers were an eyesore for beachfront towns, but if they are beyond the horizon I just don't understand the consternation.. Lots of sand bottom out there with fairly sparse life.. Many anglers that are complaining would probably be among the first out there drifting around those steel supports. Look, I don't live there, and getting up in age so I have doubts it will ever affect me personally, but I don't understand the problem so many have with the towers that are proven fish magnets.. No one would complain a bit if they were going to sink 100 old barges out there.. Is it a visual thing?... Killing of some gulls and terns? Hopefully some cormorants as well!... I don't think they will generate enough power to even make them worthwhile, but from what I gather on these pages, its the environmental impact most are worried about.....

If the windfarm idea is so great and good for the environment why would anyone care if they were visible from shore? Same NIMBY bullshit.

[bulletbob]

If the windfarm idea is so great and good for the environment why would anyone care if they were visible from shore? Same NIMBY bullshit.

I don't think they are great or particularly good or bad for the environment.. I only think the structures and adjacent bottom would create a lot of new habitat, and that fishing around them would be very good to spectacular in a few short years..


Offshore oil rigs are certainly not good for the environment, and are eyesores of the highest order... However, ask a few gulf fishermen if they would like them removed..

[Chrisper4694]

I don't think they are great or particularly good or bad for the environment.. I only think the structures and adjacent bottom would create a lot of new habitat, and that fishing around them would be very good to spectacular in a few short years..


Offshore oil rigs are certainly not good for the environment, and are eyesores of the highest order... However, ask a few gulf fishermen if they would like them removed..

Ask the government if vessels will even be allowed to be next to the wind turbines to fish.... so yeah, once they are in and start pulling fish off our current structure (even if thats what happens) thatll mean less fish to target cause they wont even let you near them.

[bulletbob]

Ask the government if vessels will even be allowed to be next to the wind turbines to fish.... so yeah, once they are in and start pulling fish off our current structure (even if thats what happens) thatll mean less fish to target cause they wont even let you near them.

If access is limited in ANY way then all bets are off.. There is great access at Block Island, and lots of fish. If NJ/NY restricts access, then I would be outraged if I were a NJ salt water fisherman.

Again, I don't buy the "it pulls fish from other places" theory.. If that were that big a problem, Every time a wreck was sunk, or an artificial reef expanded, fishing would be poor in other spots, because the local fish populations "moved out".. Might be a small concern for a season or two, but increased habitat will lead to better populations in the long run, and less pressure on areas that have traditionally been fished hard.
Access is everything.. I would be singing a different tune if access were denied , no question.... bob

[Chrisper4694]

If access is limited in ANY way then all bets are off.. There is great access at Block Island, and lots of fish. If NJ/NY restricts access, then I would be outraged if I were a NJ salt water fisherman.

Again, I don't buy the "it pulls fish from other places" theory.. If that were that big a problem, Every time a wreck was sunk, or an artificial reef expanded, fishing would be poor in other spots, because the local fish populations "moved out".. Might be a small concern for a season or two, but increased habitat will lead to better populations in the long run, and less pressure on areas that have traditionally been fished hard.
Access is everything.. I would be singing a different tune if access were denied , no question.... bob

No question that after time it will lead to better fishing when structure is added but i think it might take more than a few years. I think i heard 5+ somewhere but cant remember. A straight standing structure with rubble at the base isnt gonna be as good of a fiah attracting structure as a wreck or reef though and like i said unleaa it was in writing that vessels would have full access, i wouldnt believe it.

[Duffman]

No question that after time it will lead to better fishing when structure is added but i think it might take more than a few years. I think i heard 5+ somewhere but cant remember. A straight standing structure with rubble at the base isnt gonna be as good of a fiah attracting structure as a wreck or reef though and like i said unleaa it was in writing that vessels would have full access, i wouldnt believe it.

Not sure about 5 years. The recently built structure in Raritan Bay had life on it almost immediately.

[hammer4reel]

Not sure about 5 years. The recently built structure in Raritan Bay had life on it almost immediately.


If they are slamming piles into the ground for years . Running cables to the towers etc .
How many fish do you think will tolerate that intrusion ?

Monty did lots of underwater video on the Maryland reef sites .
Just the testing for driving piles etc drove fish off GOOD existing structure for months at a time

[Duffman]

If they are slamming piles into the ground for years . Running cables to the towers etc .
How many fish do you think will tolerate that intrusion ?

Monty did lots of underwater video on the Maryland reef sites .
Just the testing for driving piles etc drove fish off GOOD existing structure for months at a time

Ok that makes sense. Didn’t take into account the structures in the Raritan did not require piles being installed.

Same concept as the fluke bite turning off when a tanker steams down Ambrose channel.

[Chrisper4694]

Not sure about 5 years. The recently built structure in Raritan Bay had life on it almost immediately.

Im not talking about them pulling current biomass. Im talking about becoming established spawning grounds, etc. Basically becoming something that will add to the biomass rather than just take from whats already there