Between calm and storm: pathways and factors associated with offshore wind farm acceptance by the French commercial fishing industry

In France, offshore wind farm (OWF) development in large maritime regions is encountering difficulties related to social acceptance, with diverse reactions (from conflictual to cooperative) by the commercial fishing industry. Our research aimed to identify key social factors for the acceptance of the commercial fishing industry of the OWF and analyze pathways towards this acceptance, paying particular attention to turning points that marked shifts from one level of acceptance to another and, sometimes, from cooperation to conflict. We compared six OWF projects as case studies along the Eastern Atlantic off the French coast and Channel/North Sea coasts near Saint-Nazaire, South Brittany; Saint-Brieuc; Courseulles-sur-Mer; Fécamp; and Dieppe-Le Tréport. The results highlighted key variables determining project acceptance by commercial fishermen: local identity (especially when the fishery is tied to this identity), the local dynamics of resources and fishing effort, path dependency in relation to previous projects and/or consultation processes, proximity between fishermen's organizations and fishermen, consultation process quality, technological choices, and the management of unforeseen events during construction. We then analyzed acceptance levels and pathways, identifying several ideal types. The shape of the pathways and the factors determining turning points were analyzed. The results led us to present both theoretical insights (on the dynamic nature of acceptance levels and their effects) and operational recommendations (for conflict prevention and management).