The EU has committed to reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 and to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. And while fish as protein may have a smaller carbon footprint than terrestrial farming, many methods use excessive fuel and employ destructive methods.
The EU is currently reviewing the Energy Taxation Directive, providing a critical opportunity for the EU to turn commitments into action by removing fuel subsidies for the fishing industry and driving a transition to low-carbon fishing that does not cause environmental destruction, is not reliant on foreign sources of fossil fuels, and is not heavily dependent on fish imports.
Watch this recording of our workshop, which explores how the EU can decarbonise the fishing industry. The speakers include experts sharing the latest research and progress in maritime decarbonisation, while the workshop investigates the opportunities to apply international experience in the EU, and help identify gaps in achieving decarbonisation of the EU fishing fleet.
On the 14th of June 2022, we held a workshop during which experts presented the decarbonisation solutions available in the maritime sector, followed by a discussion with various stakeholders on what is needed to decarbonise the EU fishing sector. This paper is aimed at sharing recommendations and resources developed as a result of the June 2022 workshop, and to instigate action on the necessary path to decarbonisation.
While the journey to decarbonisation is in its primary stages, progress already made within the maritime sector has provided momentum and offers an incremental pathway for the decarbonisation of the fishing fleet. In order to align itself with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and other relevant international agreements, the global fishing industry will need to switch to new sources of energy. The purpose of this briefing paper is to present a feasibility analysis of batteries, synthetic fuels and wind propulsion for fishing vessels by examining examples from the shipping industry, while also considering the advantages and challenges presented by each source of energy.
Ending overfishing, shifting to low impact fisheries and recovering marine megafauna such as whales, restores biodiversity and the ecosystems they rely on, enhancing the climate resilience of the ocean. Healthy abundant marine biomass will result in reductions in CO2 emissions from fishing fleets.
SPEAKERS: Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish, Astrid Fuchs, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Melanie Virtue, Convention on Migratory Species Julika Tribukait, World Wildlife Fund for Nature
CO-ORGANIZERS:
Seas at Risk (SAR)
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
A giant colourful pop-up book depicting the devastation caused by destructive bottom trawling – and how the marine environment thrives in its absence – was delivered to European Union (EU) Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius by NGOs this morning, on behalf of more than 150,000 Europeans who have signed a petition calling for the EU to phase out destructive fishing practices, starting with an immediate ban of bottom trawling in all Marine Protected Areas.
The tens of thousands of signatories are demanding that EU Commissioner Sinkevičius (responsible for the environment, ocean and fisheries) and EU Commission Executive Vice-president Frans Timmermans (responsible for the EU Green Deal) include a ban on bottom-trawling in the upcoming EU ‘Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems’ (Ocean Action Plan), to be adopted next spring. Bottom trawling, the most harmful fishing method for the environment and climate, is widely used in Europe where it impacts more than 50% of the seabed, and even takes place inside Marine Protected Areas.
Oceana, Seas At Risk, Our Fish, WeMove Europe, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Environmental Justice Foundation, delivered the 1.5m by 2.5m pop-up book, which features both Commissioners Sinkevičius and Timmermans embarking on an ocean adventure modeled on The Life Aquatic, a popular film which references the work of famous ocean explorer and conservationist Jacques-Yves Cousteau, outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. The book presents a story on how the EU has the chance to turn the tide on destructive fishing by banning bottom-trawling, through a journey from current underwater devastation to a healthy, thriving and resilient marine environment.
Vera Coelho, Senior Director of Advocacy at Oceana in Europe said “Marine Protected Areas, as the name suggests, are supposed to afford protection to marine life, yet in 2020 over 2.5 million hours of bottom-trawling took place inside them. It is unacceptable that the EU continues condoning the destruction of the very places it has committed to protect. This madness can and must be fixed now, for good.”
Tobias Troll, Marine Policy Director at Seas At Risk added“European citizens start to realise that the seas are fragile ecosystems that need protection because they are the life support system of the planet. Destructive fishing techniques like bottom trawling must end, inside marine protected areas but also beyond. We need a just transition to low impact fisheries to protect biodiversity and allow future generations of small scale fisherfolk and coastal communities to have a good life.”
Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director, Our Fish said“We can’t just continue with pledges and promises forever – we are running out of time and every ton of carbon counts. It’s time that the EU got serious about transitioning out of destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling, which produces CO2 emissions through burning fuel, releasing carbon stored in the seabed, and depleting fish populations, and instead secured a sustainable and resilient future for our climate, ocean and coastal communities.”
Giulio Carini, Senior Campaigner, WeMove Europe said: “Almost half of the EU population lives within 50 kilometers of the sea, and no one wants to have a devastated and dead ocean for decades to come.”
Steve Trent, CEO, Environmental Justice Foundation said: “As well as destroying ocean ecosystems, endangering wildlife, and threatening coastal livelihoods, bottom trawling is also hastening climate breakdown. This practice churns up the seabed, releasing vital stores of carbon that have lain safely locked away for centuries. It is gravely disappointing that the EU, which has led progressive efforts to improve sustainability in fisheries, still allows bottom trawling within protected areas. This must end now.”
Background
– Bottom-contacting gear, including dredging and bottom trawling, is the most unselective and destructive fishing gear. The method involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor, indiscriminately catching all types of living creatures and habitats that happen to be on their way. Such trawling can strip up to 41% of invertebrate life from the sea-bed, and the ocean floor can take many years to recover. Its continuous use has led to drastic, and in some cases irreversible, degradation of marine ecosystems including habitats like corals and seagrass, as well as sensitive species like sharks, turtles and dolphins. Moreover, bottom trawling disturbs the seabed and releases large amounts of carbon stored in sediments into the sea – novel, early-stage research suggests a level of released carbon that would put it on par with the aviation sector (study).
– Recent data by Oceana revealed how EU countries continue to allow destructive fishing in Europe’s Marine Protected Areas, with over 2.5 million hours of bottom fishing occurring in 2020 inside areas supposedly designated to protect Europe’s most valuable and threatened marine species and habitats.
– A socioeconomic analysis commissioned by Seas At Risk has revealed that a ban on bottom-contacting gear (bottom trawling and bottom dredging) in Marine Protected Areas would yield net benefits as soon as four years after the ban comes into force.
– The EU Action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems, announced in the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, is expected in 2022. An EU public consultation is open until December 20th..
Our Fish today presented a stunning mural, “Heartbeat of the Ocean” – painted on a nine-floor apartment building in Vilnius, Lithuania by the world-renowned team of Spanish artists Boa Mistura – to the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius, as an early Christmas gift; the mural send a strong reminder that not only is the health of the ocean in his hands, but that the Commissioner must act with urgency to protect it and the climate.
“Save the Ocean to Save the Climate” is the message of the 300 square metre fresco, created during freezing temperatures by the artists of Boa Mistura, on the entire wall of a nine-storey apartment building at Sausio 13-osios st. 7, near Vilnius’s famed TV tower.
“Save the Ocean to Save the Climate” – message to Virginijus Sinkevičius in Vilnius, Lithuania. Our Fish/Dalius Pacevičius
“Our Fish wishes to send the people of Vilnius and European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, a Christmas gift that lasts – a bold and beautiful mural that reminds us that the health of Europe’s ocean life is in our hands, and we must act with courage and commitment to protect it for future generations,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Program Director of the Our Fish campaign, which works to end overfishing and restore a healthy ocean ecosystem.
The mural, which features fish, whales and other ocean creatures, aims to invite Vilnius’ residents, guests and decision-makers to pay more attention to protection of the ocean, and the importance of a healthy ocean to climate action.
“European seas have been heavily overfished and the ecosystems degraded over many decades. This not only destroys wildlife and diminishes the ocean’s ability to provide us with food and jobs, it undermines its capacity to store carbon and adapt to the climate emergency,” said Hubbard.
“Commissioner Sinkevičius must use his power, and act with inspired urgency to phase out destructive fishing and ensure a just transition to low-impact fishing, so that we can restore the ocean’s health and ensure it can keep defending us from the worst of climate change”.
The Boa Mistura Team. Our Fish/Dalius Pacevičius
The mural has been painted by four members of the Boa Mistura team, Pablo Ferreiro, Juan Jaume, Pablo Puron and Javier Ballesteros. Boa Mistura’s huge colourful works adorn buildings and streets, in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, France, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa, China, and in other countries.
“We have created this mural of sea creatures in Vilnius, representing how the Ocean is the heart of planet Earth. Without a healthy ocean, we cannot have a healthy planet – no heart, no life”, said Pablo Puróne, a member of Boa Mistura. “Our mural in Vilnius is our message to the world: message ‘Save the Ocean to Save the Climate’”.
The European Commission is developing an Action Plan to make fisheries more sustainable, and protect marine ecosystems and their biodiversity, as a key part of their European Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The European Commission is currently asking people for their feedback on the Action Plan in a targeted consultation until December 20.
“I’m happy that the old Vilnius district of Karoliniškės just became more colourful. But even more – I’m delighted that this mural will remind passengers every day that ocean and sea creatures depend on our everyday choices. The seaside is quite far from Vilnius – we tend to remember it only in summer. But actually, our daily habits add up to climate change, or on the contrary – help to stop it. How we drive past this huge painting, what we eat each day – it’s time to pay more attention to these things. Oceans are warming and becoming uncomfortable to live in. We must pay attention to our carbon footprint, also to the fish species we eat if we want them to also stay in the oceans, not only in the mural,” said Inga Labutytė-Atkočaitienė, from the Lithuanian Fund for Nature, who spoke at the launch of the mural.
COP26 is a vital point in the response to the global climate emergency. One of the biggest carbon stores is our seas, yet it is not included in nations’ climate change plans, and emissions or sequestration from it are not yet counted in the UK, the EU, or any nation’s annual emissions statistics. This briefing aims to provide an introduction to the role our seas play in addressing the climate crisis and what more should be done to manage activities taking place in them.
Join our Blue Carbon Breakfast Briefing with:
Dr Rashid Sumaila, Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the University of British Columbia Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Dr Emma Cavan, Research Fellow, Imperial College London
Claudia Beamish, former Member of Scottish Parliament and Special Advisor to the Scottish Labour Group on COP26
As EU fisheries ministers arrived for the AGRIFISH Council meeting on Monday October 11 in Luxembourg, they received a musical exhortation from a quartet of classical musicians and an opera singer, calling on them to Listen to the Oceanandthe science, by setting fishing limits within scientific advice.
Arel Ensemble performed excerpts from String Quartet No. 4 by Bacewicz, String Quartet No. 8 by Shostakovich, String Quartet in E Minor by Czerny, and Movement for String Quartet by Copland, and were joined by mezzo-soprano opera singer Luisa Mauro for Il Tramonto by Respighi outside the European Convention Centre in Luxembourg, where EU fisheries ministers are gathering to set fishing limits for Baltic Sea fish populations for 2022. EU Commissioner for the EnvironmentVirginijus Sinkevičius attended the performance.
I’m performing this morning because I am sensitive to the future of our planet and music is my way of expression”, said mezzo-soprano opera singer Luisa Mauro.“I believe it is important to use an ecosystem-based approach to regulate access to marine resources, in order to ensure sustainability, and to prohibit destructive fishing methods”.
“The Arel Ensemble is proud to play outside the AGRIFISH meeting here in Luxembourg this morning, to promote the need to fight for the planet and a better, sustainable future!” said Bartłomiej Ciastoń, first violin. “With our Polish roots, the musicians of Arel Ensemble are well placed to respond to, and understand the need, to protect the Baltic Sea from overfishing. As musicians, we are taking action to preserve nature and help the marine environment in a way that we do the best and with heart – by playing music”.
“Today, the EU AGRIFISH Council will set fishing limits for Baltic Sea fish populations for 2022. We are running against the clock to stop the collapse of the Baltic Sea ecosystem and deliver on political promises to halt the climate and nature crises”, said Rebecca Hubbard, Our Fish Program Director. “The setting of fishing opportunities at sustainable levels is an essential precondition to deliver on these promises. Baltic Fisheries Ministers must listen to the ocean and the science, by setting fishing limits within scientific advice.”
Arel Ensemble is a string quartet based in Belgium and Luxembourg. Its musicians are members of the finest orchestras in the Benelux region and devoted chamber music players.
Luisa Mauro is a mezzo-soprano opera singer who has performed across Europe and Asia in festivals, concert houses and recorded for Stradivarius label. She teaches vocal technique, interpretation and linguistic support, and in 2019 received the nomination of Chevalier de l’Ordre de Mérite of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
On Monday, September 27, 2021, we brought together a fascinating panel in this online discussion as they answer your questions on the science of our ocean, why its health is key to our climate, and how we can drive political action to stop overfishing before it’s too late. Watch the video to learn more (above).
Presented by Our Fish, Klimaat Actie Netwerk Maastricht and Maastricht University.
The expert panel:
Dr Alex Rogers, Science Director at REV Ocean & Professor at Oxford University
Friederike Leppert, Climate Activist, KAN Maastricht
Dr Francesca Colli, Assistant Professor of European Politics, Maastricht University
Ms Veronica Manfredi, Director of Directorate C, Quality of Life of the Directorate General of Environment, European Commission
Our Fish invites you to join us for Delivering on Climate & Biodiversity Targets Through Better Fisheries Management, a four-day virtual symposium exploring how ending overfishing is critical for realising the EU’s response to the biodiversity and climate emergency. The EU has a unique opportunity to play a leading role on the world stage during both the UNFCCC COP 26 in Glasgow and the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15 in Kunming. In advance and in preparation for these global events, we would greatly value your participation in the following:
Note: It is necessary to register for all events separately.
Monday 22nd March 2021, 16-17.30 CET/ 08-09:30 PST Science webinar: Ending overfishing delivers for climate mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity and people Click presentation title to download.
Wednesday 24th March 2021, 15:00-16:30 CET / 07-08:30 PST Workshop on climate guidelines for fisheries – policy-makers and fisheries managers only
A range of evidence will be presented by scientists during the first two scientific webinars, while this third workshop will give a brief overview of that science, before breakout groups will explore the policy pathways and workshop a proposed checklist for realising climate action through better fisheries management.
Prof. Alex Rogers, Director of Science at REV Ocean: The carbon cycle, life in the ocean and climate mitigation
Ivonne Ortiz, Senior Research Scientist and Associate Director, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington: A checklist for policy-makers to realise fisheries management as climate action
Workshop in breakout groups with scientists and policy-makers
Thursday 25th March 2021, 14:00-15:00 CET / 06-07:00 PST Fireside-chat with EU decision-makers
This fireside-chat is the fourth event in a four-day virtual symposium exploring how ending overfishing is critical to realising the EU response to the biodiversity and climate emergency. The fireside-chat will present both the science and pathway to decision-makers to help pave a way forward as they prepare for UNFCCC COP 26 in Glasgow, and the CBD COP 15 in Kunming.
Rashid Sumaila, Professor and Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the University of British Columbia Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans & Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius
Ska Keller, Member of European Parliament, Co-President of the European Greens/EFA
Farah Obaidullah, Ocean Advocate, Founder of Women4Oceans
This webinar took place on Monday 28th September 2020
During Fishing for Solutions to the Climate Crisis?, Our Fish welcomed Dr Karina von Schuckmann, Mercator Ocean International and IPCC Special Report on the Ocean Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) author and Professor Rashid Sumaila, Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit, Global Fisheries Cluster, University of British Columbia, for a webinar which explored how the European Union and its member states can lessen the impacts of climate change on Europe’s seas, by ending the practice of destructive overfishing.