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Fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions of world fisheries

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 17:02 authored by Parker, RWR, Julia BlanchardJulia Blanchard, Caleb GardnerCaleb Gardner, Bridget Green, Klaas HartmannKlaas Hartmann, Tyedmers, PH, Reginald WatsonReginald Watson
Food production is responsible for a quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. Marine fisheries are typically excluded from global assessments of GHGs or are generalized based on a limited number of case studies. Here we quantify fuel inputs and GHG emissions for the global fishing fleet from 1990–2011 and compare emissions from fisheries to those from agriculture and livestock production. We estimate that fisheries consumed 40 billion litres of fuel in 2011 and generated a total of 179 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent GHGs (4% of global food production). Emissions from the global fishing industry grew by 28% between 1990 and 2011, with little coinciding increase in production (average emissions per tonne landed grew by 21%). Growth in emissions was driven primarily by increased harvests from fuel-intensive crustacean fisheries. The environmental benefit of low-carbon fisheries could be further realized if a greater proportion of landings were directed to human consumption rather than industrial uses.

Funding

Australian Research Council

History

Publication title

Nature Climate Change

Volume

8

Pagination

333-337

ISSN

1758-678X

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

© 2018 Macmillan Publishers

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Social impacts of climate change and variability

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