UMass to study how fishing and wind industries can ‘coexist’

DARTMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth is hoping to launch a new research project on how the offshore wind and commercial fishing industries can coexist.

The university said last week that creation of the “Blue Economy Initiative” is made possible by a $1 million commitment from Deepwater Wind, a Rhode Island-based company hoping to become a major player in the state’s nascent offshore wind industry.

New Bedford, Massachusetts is the nation’s most lucrative fishing port. It’s also trying to position itself as a center for the offshore wind industry.

Deepwater Wind is among the private firms that have proposed large scale wind farms off nearby Martha’s Vineyard. The company says its funding of the new research effort is contingent on state approval of its proposed, 24-turbine wind farm.