Consultation on claims that offshore development will hit tourism and fishing

The Regional Council of Ostrobothnia on Finland's mid-west coast has begun a public consultation in Korsniemi on plans for a small offshore wind farm of three to six 2.5-3 MW turbines. Protest groups have formed, saying it will interfere with Baltic herring stocks as well as tourism. The site is in a region earmarked by the Finnish environment ministry for development of 800 offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of 1640 MW by 2030. The ministry is drafting a development plan for the entire Mustasaari archipelago sector, including offshore wind farms. Action groups in the neighbouring Skaftung archipelago are meanwhile blocking a municipal plan to erect 130, 3-5 MW wind turbines on ten to 20 neighbouring islands in the sector.