BOEM, in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and affected coastal states, will be holding meetings to discuss draft guidance for ways to mitigate impacts from offshore wind projects on commercial and recreational fisheries and fishing. The guidance was developed based on public input received in late 2021.  

BOEM will hold four public meetings to:   

1. Present the draft guidance.   
2. Answer questions about the draft guidance and how it was developed.  
3. Receive feedback on key issue areas.  
4. Provide information on how to submit comments during the public comment process. 

The Draft Fisheries Mitigation Guidance is being shared with the public for review and input for a 60-day comment period. Guidelines developed through this process may be updated periodically based upon public feedback and evaluation by BOEM staff. Comments on the guidance can be submitted via regulations.gov from June 23 to August 22, 2022 under Docket number BOEM-2022-0033 or by attending one of four upcoming virtual public meetings:  

• East Coast meeting: Monday, July 11, 9 – 11 a.m. EDT  - Register
• West Coast meeting: Friday, July 15, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. PDT - Register
• Gulf Coast meeting: Monday, July 18, 9 – 11 a.m. CDT  - Register
• Developers meeting: Thursday, July 21, 9 – 11 a.m. EDT - Register

The workshops are intended primarily for commercial and recreational fishermen on the West Coast, the Gulf, and the Atlantic Coast, as well as developers. However, the meetings are open to the public. 

Resources

• Draft Fisheries Mitigation Guidance
• Appendix A. Data and Methodology for Developing Revenue Exposure Estimates in the Northeast Atlantic
• Overview – Guidance for Mitigating Impacts to Commercial and Recreational Fisheries from Offshore Wind Energy Development