The fishing community has been a key stakeholder in the development of the NISA project from the outset. Engagement with the fishing community commenced in 2019, when only a concept layout was available.
We have been in ongoing contact with the fishing industry in relation to potential concerns and issues. This feedback has influenced how the project design evolved.
Each of the layout concepts considered during the design process has taken into account issues such as turbine layout orientation, turbine spacing and array locations as they relate to existing fishing practices. We endeavoured to adapt our design and processes to allow NISA and the fishing community to successfully share the area of the sea being considered. Protecting the current positions of those making a living from the proposed wind farm area is a core issue for us.
This proactive engagement is continuing and will remain for the lifetime of the project.
Click for large image
Your Fisheries Liaison Officer
Mark O'Reilly
To contact your Fisheries Liaison Officer, please email flo@northirishseaarray.ie
Number of meaningful engagements with fisheries
Complete our short anonymous survey
Coexistence with the Fishing Industry
The offshore industry can deliver a more sustainable future for the fishing community. NISA is endeavouring to develop a collaborative approach to capturing benefits of sharing a marine space to deliver both sustainable energy generation and food production for mutual benefit. Offshore renewable energy can and should support those earning a living from the mutually shared waters. The existing fishing practices in this area have been considered during reviews of our design layouts endeavouring to allow for continued fishing. As more information becomes available from our surveys and our design matures, we will be able to get a better understanding of how the project might interact with local fishing practices carried out in this specific area.
NISA is committed to working towards supporting the sustainability of the local fishing communities and working with individual fishers and representative orgainsations to establish how this can best be achieved.
To view all Marine Notices, click here.
Fisheries Update - Q3 2024
Project Status
The NISA project is still in development stage, and it is envisaged that, when all necessary permits and consents are acquired, construction will commence in late 2026 with the project entering into operations in 2029. In order to facilitate this, a planning submission was lodged for consideration in early June 2024 for this project (application reference number ABP-319866-24), with a decision being expected in 12 to 18 months from that date.
Whilst the planning application is being considered the project development path includes the continued consideration of detailed design and supporting information, including surveys, stakeholder engagement and from a fisheries perspective, the further development of key strategy documents such as the Fisheries Management and Mitigation Strategy (FMMS) amongst others.
Planned Surveys
In September of this year, in order to inform the design team in terms of layouts and construction methodologies, it is planned to carry out a geophysical survey of the NISA footprint area. The timing of these surveys reflects feedback from the fishing industry and details of the area to be surveyed are available on the relevant Marine Notice with further details are outlined below:
Surveys at a Glance
| What the surveys are not | What the surveys are |
| Not the commencement of construction | Are planned for a 4-week duration |
| Not utilising different survey equipment from previous surveys | Are utilising a different vessel which will be a Ramform type vessel towing a max. 60m x 300m streamer spread. |
| Not Geotechnical in nature | Are used to inform further design |
| Not near the inshore area | Are utilising an onboard fisheries liaison officer |
More detail on these surveys is outlined in the Q3 2024 Update booklet
Planned next steps
It is not envisaged that further surveys will be required before the end of 2024. This said, we intend to proactively engage with the fishing industry to develop meaningful ways of assisting the local fishing industry. We hope to be in contact again in the near future seeking guidance and feedback from the fishing community on how this might best be achieved. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on this please contact Mark O’Reilly.
