Roughly two dozen fishing boats, both large and small, participated in a floating protest of the Vineyard Wind offshore windfarm project, off the coast of the US state of Massachusetts, on Sunday (Aug. 26), reports WCAI, a local national public radio station. 

They said the fiberglass debris strewn in the water in July from a broken wind turbine blade has only made them more concerned about living with turbines. Three offshore wind blades of the type used at Vineyard Wind have suffered failures since May, the most recent on Thursday in the United Kingdom.

“We're really concerned about wind farms in the ocean-based environment, and we’re not happy with what's going on with the current one,” Nantucket charter fishing captain Carl Bois is quoted as saying.

Simultaneously, a small group of Nantucket residents reportedly protested on the island at Cisco Beach, according to the radio station.

Blade manufacturer GE Vernova is investigating what it calls “an isolated blade event that occurred during commissioning,” according to an emailed statement from the company. Commissioning is a process of inspection and testing that follows installation.

“GE Vernova’s Wind Fleet Performance Management team has initiated investigation protocols into the event in coordination with our customer,” the company statement said.

In May, when the first Haliade-X turbine sustained damage — also at Dogger Bank — GE Vernova attributed it to an installation error.

In response to the incidents, the conservation group Oceana said responsible development of offshore wind remains a necessity to further the transition away from fossil fuels. The organization said it supports creating a conservation buffer south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket to separate wind development from whale habitat.