Plans to extend the number Dutch offshore wind farms are adding to the problems faced by the Dutch North Sea fishing fleet, said the Financieele Dagblad on Monday.

Proposals presented last Friday call for offshore wind farm capacity of 4,450 megawatts to be added until 2031, with capacity hiked to 10,000 megawatts by 2030. The wind farms would cover several thousand square kilometres in the North Sea.

But with the major shipping lanes, large nature reserves, sand-mining areas and other areas off limits to the fisheries industry, Dutch fishing waters are being compromised.

And with Brexit, British fishing grounds may be closed to Dutch fishing vessels, further adding to the problems, the paper said.

The economic affairs ministry said in a reaction that all stakeholders in the North Sea will be consulted when agreeing new offshore wind farms. That process still has to start, the spokesman said.

Blijft dit zo doorgaan, dan worden de vissers op de Noordzee de Indianen van de 21 ste eeuw. Nog een paar reservaten, waar we vissen mogen. pic.twitter.com/js1YhKvCYi

— Jacob van Urk (@rockall158) April 6, 2017