SSNA Nominated for two Industry Awards, for HSE Excellence and Supply Chain Innovation

Sea Services North America, the nation’s leading fishermen’s cooperative, has been nominated for two Ventus Awards from Oceantic Network in the categories of Supply Chain Advancement- Private Sector, and Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) Program of the Year.

Oceantic Network is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to offshore wind development.

The nominations describe SSNA’s efforts to advance health and safety standards for commercial fishermen working in the offshore wind industry, and its role in bolstering the offshore wind supply chain.

A Ventus Award is the highest level of professional recognition given to individuals, companies, and organizations making significant contributions to the advancement of offshore wind and other ocean renewable energy technologies on a global scale. It honors those who are leading the way in the ocean renewables industry, with the name “Ventus” referencing the Latin word for “wind.”

“These nominations speak volumes about the skills of our fishermen who have found an additional revenue source to fill in the gaps while helping their friends on the water and offshore wind developers work together for the benefit of both,” said longtime commercial fisherman Gary Yerman, Founder and Fleet Manager of Sea Services North America.

“We’re humbled and honored with this nomination,” SSNA Chief Executive Officer Gordon Videll said. “Gary’s crews are doing great work out there.”

Other leaders in the offshore wind industry have also recognized Sea Services’ efforts.

“I express my strong support for the nomination of Sea Services North America (SSNA) for the HSE Program of the Year Award,” said Ed LeBlanc, Head of Marine Affairs for Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind development. “Ørsted’s commitment to safety is paramount across all our markets. I have had the privilege of working closely with SSNA on multiple offshore wind (OSW) projects along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. I have witnessed firsthand the critical role they have played in advancing safety and operational excellence within the OSW and commercial fishing sectors.

“Sea Services North America’s innovative co-op model has revolutionized the way OSW developers like Ørsted engage with the commercial fishing community. By working closely with Ørsted’s HSE teams both in Europe and the U.S., Sea Services’ approach to safety, particularly in upgrading their partner vessels and ensuring full compliance with international safety benchmarks such as the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and Marine Inspection of Small Workboats (MISW) standards, has set a new and high safety bar for active fishing vessels supporting the construction of our projects. Through its meticulous commitment to supporting fishermen through training programs and unwavering commitment to high safety standards, SSNA has enabled over 100 fishermen to safely participate in OSW projects, helping them transition into this new and evolving sector.”

Sea Services, in its fourth year of operations, provides valuable services designed to prevent construction delays that would add significant costs to a project. Seas Services scout vessels work ahead of a developer’s survey and cable-lay vessels to search for fishing gear that could cause entanglements. With local fishermen doing the scout work, gear can be appropriately relocated, and in many cases the owners can be contacted and informed of the move.

Avoiding entanglements avoids conflicts with fishermen and costly downtime for developers.

Sea Services fishermen also establish safety zones around construction sites to keep other vessels a safe distance from turbine installation vessels – again, avoiding conflict and downtime.

SSNA has 20 fishing vessel partners in seven states representing more than 100 fishermen. And those crews have earned more than $14 million from SSNA work.

These experienced crews have provided 11 successful scout and safety/guard campaigns with more than 10,000 miles scouted. They have identified more than 1,000 fixed-gear locations, avoiding any damage to fishing gear in zones where SSNA has scouted.

“I have witnessed first-hand SSNA’s transformative impact on the U.S. offshore wind supply chain,” said Kristin Urbach, Executive Director of the Connecticut Wind Collaborative. “SSNA’s innovative co-op model is a groundbreaking solution to a critical challenge in the U.S. offshore wind sector: the availability of certified, compliant vessels and skilled crews. Their ability to utilize active, independent commercial fishing vessels and integrate them into offshore wind operations has allowed a new class of vessel types to emerge, addressing the growing demands for scout and guard vessels in offshore wind development while fostering economic development in fishing communities.

“By upgrading over 20 vessels to meet Marine Inspector for Safety of Wind (MISW) standards, and training over 100 fishermen across seven states to the highest levels of professional mariners, SSNA has created a scalable and sustainable pipeline of resources for offshore wind developers. The growing list of upgraded commercial fishing vessels now forms a vital component of the U.S. offshore wind supply chain.”