European plaice movements show evidence of high residency, site fidelity, and feeding around hard substrates within an offshore wind farm

Abstract

Abstract Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are expanding rapidly in the North Sea, often creating spatial conflicts with fisheries. Managing such conflicts requires knowledge on the impact of OWFs on the spatial distribution and movement behaviour of fished species. However, such knowledge is still lacking, especially for soft sediment fish such as flatfish, which are vital fisheries resources in the region. Therefore, we used acoustic telemetry to examine the spatial behaviour of European plaice in relation to an OWF and its structures. In a small study area (1.37 km2), we observed high residency for plaice around the turbines and scour protection layer (SPL), which consists of large rocks around the turbine foundation. The fish primarily resided on sandy sediments near the hard substrates, but showed a diurnal pattern of proximity to the turbine, being closer during the day. Considering their trophic ecology, these findings suggest that plaice moves towards the SPL for feeding opportunities on the hard substrate, potentially leading to increased ecological fish production within OWFs. Although most plaice moved away from the OWF in winter, likely towards spawning grounds, many exhibited high site fidelity returning to the study area after the winter migration. OWFs thus offer protection from fishing mortality as “closed” feeding grounds in spring and summer, but not during winter spawning migrations, which may result in spillover effects. These insights should inform local fisheries management in relation to plaice movement within and around OWFs.