The Nordic Marine Think Tank re-joined ICES for a second collaboration to host the Nordic Forum on Climate Change in Fisheries and Aquaculture. The forum was held in Bergen, Norway, 30 November 2023.
The primary aim of this forum was to serve as a platform for stakeholders encompassing the fisheries, aquaculture, scientific, and policymaking realms to engage in substantive dialogues about their role in climate change and the co-existence with offshore wind. Its overarching goal was to foster the exchange of ideas and insights towards active mitigation of the impact of these critical sectors on climate change. Recognizing climate change as a pervasive global challenge necessitating concerted efforts across the maritime industry, the forum endeavors to galvanize actionable solutions that promote harmonious co-existence of sustainable offshore activities across diverse sectors.
Key outcomes of the workshop encompassed a thorough examination of primary concerns regarding offshore wind initiatives from the fishing industry's perspective. Discussions ranged from wind park design considerations to exploring avenues for fishing representatives and practitioners to participate in Marine Spatial Planning. Moreover, critical research inquiries delved into methodologies for assessing the impact of offshore wind farms, alongside strategies for collaborative engagement with governmental energy, fishing, and environmental agencies to establish regulatory frameworks and foster cross-sectoral cooperation in addressing knowledge gaps. Additionally, the workshop deliberations encompassed the ethical dimensions, deep-sea technology applications, and the utility of digital twins in advancing sustainable, transdisciplinary offshore development, in collaboration with other maritime sectors.
Emerging priorities for future endeavors include fostering enhanced industry-research dialogues on wind park design and data acquisition, as well as forging new consortia to spearhead future proposals for EU and Research Council of Norway funding. These initiatives aim to drive pragmatic and strategic co-existence initiatives between offshore wind entities and fishing stakeholders. The Nordic Marine Think Tank and ICES reaffirm their steadfast commitment as collaborative partners in advancing public discourse on offshore marine spatial planning and conducting research to bolster sustainable exploitation of resources from our Ocean.