Fuel use and cost intensity analysis of UK fishing vessels

Abstract

In fisheries, greenhouse gas accounting has largely focused on fuel use during resource extraction. Beyond its climate impact, fuel use also affects the economic viability of the fishing industry and its capacity to mitigate emissions and adapt to climate change scenarios. Understanding fuel use and efficiency is critical to the long-term sustainability of fisheries and should inform the UK’s climate mitigation roadmap. Fuel use estimates are available for a limited number of species and gear types and are calculated using different methods. This study addresses the uncertainty and granularity of fleet wide fuel use estimates, using the UK as a case study. Using primary data on days at sea, engine power, and fuel use to estimate fleet-wide fuel use, this study provides fuel use estimates for 78% of UK-caught wild-capture seafood and conducts a Fuel Use Intensity (Litres/Tonne) and Fuel Cost Intensity (£fuel/£revenue) analysis of UK fishing vessels. This study finds that the UK pelagic fleet burns the most fuel per active vessel annually. Some beam trawl fleets have the highest Fuel Use Intensity and Fuel Cost Intensity. Species typically caught by beam trawlers have a higher weighted Fuel Use Intensity, yet species targeted by fleets with lower Fuel Use Intensity are still vulnerable to economic and policy impacts relating to fossil fuels and fuel use due to their dependence on fossil fuels and total annual fuel use. Climate mitigation cannot single out gear types or species; it must use multiple strategies tailored to each fleet's needs to reduce emissions.