At our “Blue Foods: Shaping a Low Carbon, Low Plastic Fishing Industry” event on 20 March 2024, we heard from a variety of speakers examining innovative methods in which the fishing industry can reduce its carbon emissions and plastic usage.
Attendees heard from:
Kara Brydson - Executive Director - Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability
Hans Unkles - Skipper
Harry Owen - Acting PO Manager - Western Fish Producers’ Organisation
Rob Thompson - Director - Odyssey Innovation
Mark Bloomfield - Senior Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity Manager - Welsh Government
A full recording of the online event can be found here:
Following the presentations, Parliamentarians and attendees put their questions to the panel. Written summaries of all questions and answers are provided below. Please note that these answers reflect the views of the panellists, rather than the APPG Secretariat or its Members.
QUESTIONS FROM ATTENDEES
Is there a production timeline for electric vessels in the UK fishing industry?
Sheryll Murray MP stated that the answer to this question likely lies with MPs and wider government. She mentioned that the legislation supporting a transition to electric vessels for the fishing industry will be split between departments - namely Defra and the Department for Transport (DfT). She then directed a question towards Hans, enquiring about the time it takes to construct an electric vessel.
Hans Unkles replied that, in his case, it took the best part of two years. Knowing the attention his vessel would receive, he placed extra effort into the construction process to achieve a high standard example of an electric boat. He concluded by mentioning that if you have the right vessel, a conversion to an electric engine could be possible in a few weeks.
Kara Brydson added that beyond just the conversion process, factors such as boat availability, infrastructure, training, pricing plans, and regulations will all likely affect the production timeline for electric vessels.
Hans Unkles reflected on past conversations with skippers, stating that a couple of serious inquiries had been put forward by individuals wanting to undertake electric engine conversion, but opted for diesel and petrol engines due to the lack of available charging facilities in ports.
The fishing sector seems stuck at a point where good electric vessel designs have been achieved, yet funding schemes to support the uptake of such vessels are not fit for purpose. If we wish to see a rise in the electrification of vessels, early adopters need to be advantaged. Is there a political drive behind this?
Sheryll Murray MP called back to e-Voyager, the UK’s first electric ferry, developed in collaboration between gear companies and the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter in Mrs Murray’s constituency. The project was funded through the £1.4M Clean Maritime Call: a Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) scheme supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and launched to support the UK’s goal of zero emission shipping. She felt like this was the best process to achieve electrification for a small vessel.
She added that funding is something her and her colleagues are very aware of in the context of carbon targets in the fishing industry, and that it is being pushed in government.
With the Sumwing beam trawl, was the catch volume of target species similar to a traditional beam trawl?
Harry Owen replied that target species catch volume was the same between the two forms of beam trawl.
Do you agree that innovation and support funding needs to be increased if net zero targets are to be met in the fishing industry?
Kara Brydson stated that it is very expensive to test new technology at sea, and that this is something that has to be accounted for when considering funding. She mentioned that whilst funding can be an issue, advice and knowledge around infrastructure is vital as the fishing industry often finds it complicated to know what to ask for from governing bodies.
Hans Unkles added that part of the funding process could include a follow-up sum, reflecting that fishers undertaking electrification of their vessels are making a commitment that could potentially affect their income. He argued that if this was in place, there would be a greater incentive to uptake such measures.
Are there any greenhouse gas end-of-life estimates for different fishing gear around the UK?
Rob Thompson replied stating that there are, and it is a work piece that his team would like to continue once the next round of funding is underway. Expanding upon this work would include looking into the efficiency of different recycling routes in the life cycle assessment of gear. This is key to informing work on where and how different gear should be recycled. On top of better understanding recycling routes, he mentioned that further stakeholder and fisher involvement is critical, as more will recycle, lowering the impact of the fishing industry on the environment.
Who else is actively pursuing uptake of electric fishing vessels in the UK?
Hans Unkles stated that he knows of one other case of vessel electrification, an individual who is currently in the process of converting a Cygnus GM32 to an electric engine. He went on to mention that getting people engaged with electric vessels is the largest difficulty, and that there need to be effective incentives in place to combat this. He concluded by saying the best thing he can do to persuade others to consider an electric vessel is by displaying how his own boat works.
Kara Brydson added that early adopters of electric vessels are rare because of the lack of advice surrounding the process of vessel electrification, and that more prototypes are needed to drive attention to this.
With financing, confidence and attitude all existing as barriers to pursuing an electric vessel, what made Hans take the leap?
Hans Unkles replied that he was concerned about how far behind the fishing industry was in regards to its own net zero targets, and that ground-up change is vital to spearhead change across the entire industry.
Are there any differences in approach to the developments of electric vessels across the international stage, and are governments more supportive in other places?
Kara Brydson mentioned that the largest difference to other countries pursuing electric vessels, like Norway, is the amount of money placed into investigating the electric transition of large vessels. She stated that Norway has allocated significant amounts of money into testing a variety of alternative fuels for large pelagic vessels, yet they have realised that some of these alternatives may not be appropriate for the industry, hence the importance of testing prototypes in the UK fleet.
She went on to state that the UK can learn from different places and industries in regards to electrification, but prototypes need to be tested within UK fishing operations for them to be deemed suitable for UK waters.
Noting the efficient design of the Sumwing beam trawl, would it be possible for trawl gear to fit onto smaller fishing vessels?
Harry Owen stated that talks are underway with the University of Exeter to better understand the energy requirements of the Sumwing design, noting that if energy needs are significantly less, a new, smaller vessel with alternative fuels could be feasible.
Kara Brydson highlighted that she believed that regulations need to be unpicked for progress to be made in this area, and that increased efficiency on boats can improve a range of different issues vessels face; from crewing to health and safety.
Hans Unkles stated that timescales are massive, policy change takes years, and there is a demand for a governmental body to oversee the vital legislative side of such changes in the fishing fleet.
Are there any developments on the possibility of recycling leaded rope?
Rob Owen expressed that this was an issue that his team were having challenges with. He stated that materials containing lead are troublesome as they are toxic and hazardous to both handlers and the wider environment. He highlighted that further innovation is needed in this area, and it could be a possible joint project between academia and gearmakers. He noted that lead ropes are already reused to a high level within the industry.
Hull efficiency and engine alterations take time and take boats out of commission which is not recognised in the grant system. Could this be a consideration moving forward?
Hans Unkles expressed his frustrations around his personal experience with the legislation surrounding his vessel's electrification, given the significant onus on time and resources needed to correctly follow legislative guidelines.
How did you calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of the production phase of bait bags?
Andrew Brown answered that this was undertaken by Bangor University using a life cycle analysis of the materials in question.
Around the world, many lobster pot designs consist of permanent mesh bags that are regularly refilled. What is the purpose of using single use bait bags?
Andrew Brown stated that permanent mesh bags are an option but that his organisation struggled to get fishermen to return the bags for refill. Now, his organisation is considering further how this could be achieved in future.