Abstract
The offshore wind industry in the northeastern United States is on the verge of developing more than a 21 GW capacity in the next few years. This chapter describes the types and methods of outreach used to communicate with fishing stakeholders and the resulting level of engagement of the fishing stakeholders in Massachusetts. It assesses how successful fishing stakeholder engagement has been in Massachusetts as of September 2019. At the federal level, the permitting process for development mandates stakeholder outreach via public comment and also during subsequent appeals processes. The Fisheries Liaisons employed by each offshore wind farm developer typically have prior experience, name recognition, and credibility in the region, and may have fished commercially in the past. Fishing stakeholders were also influential in the development of compensatory mitigation plans that address the potential loss of revenue and fishing opportunity within offshore wind farms. Fishing stakeholders also transit through the lease areas to access fishing grounds.