U.S Wind proposes $20 million to support commercial fishing – local Ocean City officials remain opposed

OCEAN CITY, Md. – U.S. Wind has proposed $20 million to support commercial fishing. This comes after an agreement with both Maryland and Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources.

The company’s Director of Marine Affairs, Benjamin Cooper, is excited to unveil the proposal. “We’re happy to announce this memorandum of agreement with both Maryland and Delaware to provide resilience funding to fishermen in the region.”

U.S. Wind is calling the proposal one of the biggest investments in commercial fishing for the region. Included in the funding is a package worth $13.5 million. Called the Maryland Fishing Community Resilience Fund.

Grants will be awarded to fishing businesses in the West Ocean City Harbor. This funding will go towards gear, marketing, and fishing business development.

Officials are also offering $5.4 million for a claim-based compensation program. And more than $1 million for navigation safety equipment.

However, the offer isn’t swaying local officials. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan stands with local fisherman who oppose the project. “I think this is just another example of U.S. Wind trying to buy their way past a problem, which should have been vetted long before the Department of Interior issued any approvals.”

The group is taking U.S. Wind to court, in hopes of getting the project halted.

According to Cooper, the company is committed to maximizing the benefits of the offshore project.

“We believe that the structure that’s added offshore will help fishing. It’s happened to the south with the project in Virginia, and to the north in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The fish are abundant there. Unfortunately, the belief is this will hurt fishing – we really don’t think so.”