Martha’s Vineyard Times Quotes Partner David E. Frulla on Cape Wind Settlement

In the article, ​“Island Fishermen Settle Lawsuit with Cape Wind,” The Martha’s Vineyard Times reported that the Martha’s Vineyard/ Dukes County Fishermen’s Association entered into a settlement agreement with Cape Wind Associates.

The paper noted that in 2010, representing the fishermen, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP filed the lawsuit to stop Cape Wind from building a 25-square mile wind turbine farm in the Horseshoe Shoal of Nantucket Sound. ​“In a 16-page complaint, attorney David Frulla of Kelley Drye and Warren said the Cape Wind energy project would effectively end all commercial fishing on Horseshoe Shoal -- prime, historic fishing grounds for Vineyard fishermen.”

“ ​‘Island fisherman are under a tremendous amount of regulatory pressure and are already struggling to make a living,’ Mr. Frulla said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. ​‘There are other solutions and alternatives that could better safeguard both the environment and the only way of life for many local residents.’ ”

The article reported that the parties’ joint press release stated the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen agreed to support the Cape Wind project as a sustainable source of clean energy for the future, and Cape Wind and the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen together support a vibrant and sustainable local commercial fishing community on Martha’s Vineyard. Cape Wind would contribute to the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, a permit bank established to help protect the livelihood of local fishermen and a vibrant fishing industry.