A major BIM and ATU Galway study tracking fishing activity across 88 European offshore wind farms over 12 years has found large reductions in trawling, while raising cautious hope for pot and gillnet fishermen. The findings carry big implications for Ireland’s looming offshore wind expansion.
Fishermen operating in European waters have long warned that offshore wind farms are eating into their grounds. Now a detailed, long-term study has put hard numbers on the scale of that displacement, and the picture for towed-gear fishermen in particular is stark.
The report, “Interactions Between Offshore Wind Farms and Fisheries in European Waters,” was produced by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway and published in May 2026. It analysed satellite tracking data on fishing vessels across 88 offshore wind farms in the North Sea, Irish Sea and Baltic Sea from 2012 to 2024, the most comprehensive assessment of its kind to date.
The findings make for uncomfortable reading for anyone operating bottom trawls or dredges near wind farm zones. But for fishermen using static gears such as pots, traps, gillnets and longlines, the evidence points to a more nuanced picture, with some continuing to fish within and around wind farms in certain countries.
The Numbers: Trawling Down Nearly 80 Per Cent
Across all 88 wind farms studied, the average reduction in towed-gear fishing effort inside wind farm boundaries after construction was 79 per cent. In buffer zones extending one kilometre beyond the farm boundary, towed effort dropped by a further 47 per cent on average.
In the UK, where bottom trawling is not subject to mandatory exclusion from wind farms, towed fishing effort still fell by 76 per cent inside farm boundaries and 38 per cent in the surrounding buffer zones. The researchers note this is broadly in line with a 2022 UK study that found a 77 per cent reduction in bottom-towed gears.
The scale of displacement was even greater elsewhere. In Belgium, towed effort inside wind farms collapsed by 99 per cent. In the Netherlands it fell by 98 per cent, in Denmark by 91 per cent, and in Germany by 85 per cent.
“Effective coexistence between towed fishing gears and OWF is unlikely to occur using traditional OWF infrastructure.”
The researchers are direct about what this means. They write that “effective coexistence between towed fishing gears and OWF is unlikely to occur using traditional OWF infrastructure.” Bottom trawls and dredges are too heavy and too prone to snagging on turbine foundations, cables and other subsea infrastructure. Even where no mandatory ban exists, fishermen are simply staying away.
Static Gear: A Different Story, But Not Straightforward
The picture for static-gear fishermen is more mixed. Across all wind farms, static effort inside farm boundaries was down by an average of 52 per cent, and 22 per cent in surrounding buffer zones. That is still significant, but considerably less than for towed gears.
Country-level figures reveal striking differences. In Germany, static effort dropped by 99 per cent inside wind farms, reflecting that country’s strict exclusion of all but experimental fisheries. Belgium saw an 83 per cent reduction. Denmark recorded a 60 per cent fall.
But in the UK and Netherlands, the reductions were far smaller at just 15 per cent in both countries. More notably, static effort in the one-kilometre buffer zones around wind farms actually increased by 84 per cent in the Netherlands and 16 per cent in the UK. Two individual UK wind farms showed substantial increases in static fishing effort after construction.
The researchers attribute this largely to national policy. The UK does not have mandatory safety zones around wind farm infrastructure. The Netherlands actively permits experimental static fisheries within its offshore wind farms. In both countries, potters and gillnetters appear to be adapting and continuing to fish.
However, the authors caution that higher effort around wind farms does not automatically mean better catches. They note there is “little evidence to support greater abundance of fish species in areas adjacent to OWF due to spillover effects.”
Small Vessels: A Gap in the Evidence
One important caveat running through the study is the limited data on smaller fishing vessels. Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking, the satellite data used throughout the research, only became mandatory for EU fishing vessels over 15 metres in 2014. Vessels under that size are poorly represented in the dataset.
This matters particularly for the static-gear sector, where smaller inshore boats using pots and gillnets are common. The researchers acknowledge these smaller vessels may be more manoeuvrable around wind farm infrastructure but are also more vulnerable to displacement, with fewer options for moving to alternative grounds. They call for additional assessment of the impacts on this part of the fleet.
What Determines Whether Fishing Continues?
The research team used statistical modelling to identify what factors most influence whether fishing continues inside a wind farm after it is built. The clearest finding was that national policy is the dominant factor. Countries with mandatory exclusions or large safety zones saw the greatest reductions; those with more permissive rules saw less.
Beyond policy, the identity of the wind farm operator emerged as another significant variable, suggesting that different developers take different approaches to managing fishing access within their projects. Water depth also appeared relevant, with deeper wind farms in permissive countries showing more continued static fishing activity.
Turbine spacing, meaning how far apart individual turbines are placed, may also play a role. Earlier research cited in the report suggests that wider turbine spacing and buried cables could improve conditions for some fishing activities, though bottom trawling would require the most accommodation.
Ireland: Expanding Wind, Limited Data
For Irish fishermen, the study’s timing is critical. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan targets 20 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2040, rising to 37GW by 2050. The first three gigawatts are to come from developer-led projects, primarily in the Irish Sea. The South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP), covering the first major plan-led offshore wind zone, has already passed public consultation and been formally approved.
Ireland only had one wind farm in the study’s dataset, with very low associated fishing effort, which meant it could not be included in country-level comparisons. But the report’s authors are explicit that its findings apply directly to Irish planning: “Ongoing research in the US and France on codesign initiatives that aim to optimise coexistence potential can greatly inform Irish OWF development.”
The report also notes that Ireland’s National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) requires that planning proposals with significant adverse impacts on fishing must demonstrate they will, in order of preference, avoid, minimise, or mitigate those impacts. Where mitigation is not possible, the public benefit must be shown to outweigh the harm to fishing.
“Minimising sectoral overlap at the outset is also key to avoiding significant impacts on fishing.”
The study points to the South Coast DMAP as having placed coexistence at the centre of its preparation, stating that mandatory permanent exclusions on other activities should not be imposed except for safety reasons. The researchers warn that policy commitments alone are not enough. Technical design, early planning and ongoing monitoring are all essential.
The Codesign Push: Learning From the US and France
The authors point to two active programmes as models for Ireland and the wider European industry to follow. In the United States, the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium is working directly with commercial fishermen to design new turbine configurations that could allow towed gears to operate safely. In France, the Regional Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture has been developing practical coexistence tools, including a matrix of fishing practices and wind farm components, and a digital tool to visualise how different gear types interact with specific infrastructure.
The French work in particular is highlighted as having shown that coexistence is possible under specific conditions and as producing practical tools for the industry. The researchers emphasise that technical specifications for coexistence must be built in from the very start of wind farm planning, not added on afterwards.
The Call for Catch Monitoring
A recurring theme in the report is the lack of data on what wind farms actually do to fish stocks and commercial catches. The study tracks fishing effort, meaning hours spent fishing, but not catch rates or the value of fish landed. This limits what can be concluded about economic impacts.
The researchers call for monitoring of catch rates both before and after wind farm construction as an essential next step. They also recommend that future analyses incorporate Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data alongside logbook records, which would allow fishing effort to be linked directly to catch and value data. VMS is currently mandatory for vessels over 12 metres and is due to be extended to all vessels by 2029 under EU regulations.
The report also raises the question of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are set to be incorporated into Ireland’s maritime spatial planning framework through future DMAPs. The authors argue that designated spatial areas should also be considered for key fishing grounds, to protect important seafood production areas in the same way that wind energy and conservation zones are being protected.
The Bottom Line
For fishermen, the study’s message is clear: towed gear and offshore wind farms do not mix under current designs, regardless of what national policy says on paper. The physical hazards of snagging on turbine foundations and cables are enough to drive most trawlers and dredgers away, with or without a legal ban.
For static-gear fishermen, the situation is more hopeful but far from guaranteed. Where national policy permits access and wind farm operators are willing to engage, potters and gillnetters have shown they can continue to work in and around turbines. But this requires proactive planning, early engagement with developers, and the kind of codesign approach that is still in its early stages in Europe.
The report concludes that minimising the overlap between wind farms and key fishing grounds from the very start of the planning process is the most effective way to protect fisheries. With the South Coast DMAP now approved and the first major Irish offshore wind projects moving towards development, that window for getting the planning right is closing fast.
The full report, ‘Interactions Between Offshore Wind Farms and Fisheries in European Waters,’ was produced by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Atlantic Technological University Galway and published in May 2026. It is available to download at: https://bim.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Interactions-between-offshore-wind-farms-and-fisheries-final-report.pdf It was funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the European Union through the EMFAF Operational Programme 2021–2027.
