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.

This report examines the wide-reaching reasons – which are overwhelmingly supported by science – to remove EU fuel subsidies

EU tax exemptions for fuel are harmful subsidies that reduce the costs of fishing, therefore leading to an increase of fishing capacity, and thus contributing to overfishing in the European Union