A new report by ClientEarth claims EU fishing capacity rules won’t hinder industry’s path to decarbonisation
A new report by environmental group ClientEarth challenges claims from the fishing industry that EU capacity limits on vessel weight and power prevent the transition to low-carbon technologies.
Conducted by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, the report suggests that EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) capacity ceilings do not pose barriers to decarbonising the fishing sector.
The report, titled Capacity Ceilings in EU Fisheries: Obstacle or Opportunity for the Decarbonisation Process?, aims to dispel industry concerns that these limits restrict the adoption of hybrid engines, biofuels, and other alternative energy sources. According to ClientEarth, current capacity ceilings align with the EU’s sustainability goals and provide a framework to support decarbonisation efforts.
“This report proves that the EU’s capacity ceilings for fishing vessels in no way impede the decarbonisation of the sector—contrary to fishing lobby claims,” said Laurène Provost, Lead Lawyer at ClientEarth. “The energy transition in fishing isn’t just environmentally necessary; it’s crucial for the industry’s long-term resilience. By adopting energy-efficient technologies and cleaner fuels, the EU fishing sector can safeguard its future while supporting marine health.”
Flexibility for Sustainable Transition
Provost asserted that decarbonising EU fishing fleets will require investment and adaptation, but the necessary regulatory flexibility already exists within the current framework. “The remaining capacity provides a unique opportunity for Member States and the fishing industry to invest in sustainable practices,” she said. “This aligns with both climate goals and the long-term sustainability of fish stocks.”
The report also highlights that reducing overcapacity aligns with decarbonisation goals, suggesting that overcapacity management could support both energy efficiency and sustainable fishing practices. RISE researcher Sara Hornborg, a co-author of the report, noted that for some fleets, reducing overcapacity and shifting to sustainable practices could be a first step toward decarbonisation. “Promoting energy efficiencies by decreasing overcapacity is essential. Depending on the fleet, the additional space needed for alternative fuels may not be that significant,” Hornborg stated.
Strategic Measures to Curb Emissions
To assist with decarbonisation, the report recommends several actions, including energy audits for individual vessels, which could reduce fuel use by as much as 30% without impacting fishing capacity. The report also suggests that monitoring devices, costing approximately €4,500 per vessel, could yield quick returns in energy savings, particularly for high-energy-demand vessels.
ClientEarth further calls for a deadline to phase out fossil fuels across the EU fishing sector, emphasising the urgency of curbing climate change. “Setting a strict deadline to eliminate fossil fuel reliance will create incentives to transition to carbon-neutral fuels,” Provost added. This approach would also align with the upcoming EU decarbonisation roadmap for fisheries, due to be published by 2025.
EU Capacity Ceilings and CFP Objectives
Under the CFP, capacity ceilings aim to prevent overfishing by controlling the overall size and power of EU fishing fleets. ClientEarth claims that these limits not only prevent the overexploitation of fish stocks but also support climate goals. “The energy transition can align with current CFP objectives, creating win-win actions for both climate and sustainable fisheries,” the report states. Specific recommendations include allocating more fishing opportunities to low-impact gear and setting measures to balance fleet capacity to avoid overfishing.
As the EU Commission finalises its roadmap for decarbonising EU fisheries, ClientEarth argues that capacity ceilings offer a pathway to a sustainable future for the fishing sector, enabling the integration of climate objectives into fisheries policy without compromising industry resilience.
Key Findings:Available capacity for decarbonising the sector:
- The report finds that current capacity ceilings are not a hindrance for decarbonisation of fishing fleets, as capacity is available within the regulatory framework. Additionally, the purpose of capacity ceilings may be seen as a facilitator for an energy transition.
- Action plans set out when there is unbalance between fishing capacity and available fishing opportunities within a given fleet segment. This may become an opportunity to boldly tackle the energy transition within the sector, even if technological questions remain open.
- Under the CFP, action is required to decrease overfishing for all case study fleets, which would also favour energy efficiency.
- A full decarbonisation of the fishing fleet would particularly affect those with a high energy demand – especially large vessels operating in distant waters – but may still be small in terms of the effect on gross tonnage depending on fishing pattern.
- It is still unknown to which extent individual vessels may accommodate all changes required from either hybrid-solutions or full decarbonisation, and the effect on operations. This calls for more detailed technological analysis on what characterises best available technology for different fisheries.
Decarbonisation options:
- Energy audits and monitoring of energy use of individual vessels should be required
- Energy use must be reduced as far as possible before converting a vessel to alternative fuels, requiring better understanding of a vessel’s optimum operational pattern.
- For around €4,500, monitoring devices may be installed to initiate this process and offer quick return on investment in the form of energy saving.
- Measures improving the energy efficiency alone may achieve a 30% reduction in fuel use for all fleets without affecting fishing capacity. It is however crucial that this energy saving is not used to increase fishing effort and thus negatively affect an already identified biological imbalance for several of the fleets.
Decarbonisation as a key step for long term resilience of the sector:
- Decarbonisation is a gradual process – spanning from fishery management to individual fishers and back again – crucial for initiating achievement of long-term sustainable fisheries. Eliminating overcapacity and overfishing by fishery management actions provides the prerequisites for long-term sustainability.
- From a vessel perspective, combining energy efficiencies with hybrid-solutions has potential to reduce emissions with 79% relative to current baseline. Here, tailored solutions for different fleets will be crucial, which is also needed for full decarbonisation.
- Opportunities exist to increase GT or kW relative to capacity ceilings if required for decarbonisation measures but links back to fishery management – it is crucial that the fleets maintain in balance or decrease in fishing capacity (e.g., effort, catch capacity) to avoid overfishing.
Alignment with the objectives of the CFP and climate goals
- Overall, taking steps towards decarbonisation align with the objectives of the CFP – i.e., win-win actions for climate and long-term sustainable fisheries.
- The energy transition can be aligned with action plans for case study fleets in the report, e.g., allocating more fishing opportunities to the passive gear segment in the Italian small-scale fleet, and also other objectives such as Article 17 of the CFP.
- Given the urgency of curbing climate change, and the need to ensure long-term viable fisheries, setting a strict deadline for the phasing out of fossil fuels for all maritime operations, including removal or redirection of subsidies to favour a just transition, can create incentives and speed up the process towards carbon neutral fuels while also contributing to broader objectives.
Source: Press Release