The UK fishing industry’s role in delivering net-zero is being overlooked despite a government ambition to address the climate impact of fisheries.
A coalition of NGOs is calling on the UK government to tackle the environmental impact of the fisheries sector to help accelerate progress towards climate and nature goals.
In a new report, WWF, Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and RSPB highlighted how the UK fisheries act 2020 sets the stage for a “world-leading fisheries strategy” but added that as of now the sector is adding to the climate and nature crises, for example through direct emissions and disruption to the marine environment.
Ahead of November’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the organisations called on the government to adopt a ‘climate-smart’ strategy, that would reduce the carbon emissions that come directly from the UK fishing fleet; enhance marine biodiversity by reducing – and where possible reversing – the damage from unsustainable fishing practices; and increase the potential for UK seas to act as a carbon sink by helping protect blue carbon habitats.
According to the report, over 50% of the UK fishing fleet vessels are around 30 years old, and the vast majority are powered by fossil fuels. Based on UK fishing vessel activity data, UK fisheries are estimated to have emitted 914.4 kilotons of CO2 over a one year period, the same as providing the annual energy use of over 110,000 homes.
Fisheries can also damage the ocean’s capacity to act as a carbon sink, according to the report, which cites the use of bottom towed gear that destroys carbon-rich habitats like seagrass meadows and muddy sediments.
Fishing beyond sustainable levels also removes too much biomass from the ocean, further undermining its potential as a carbon sink. The first post-Brexit UK fish stock audit published at the start of 2021 showed that only three of the UK’s top ten fish populations are fished at or below maximum sustainable yield.
Wild caught Atlantic salmon and Atlantic cod from certain locations including UK seas are currently classified as ‘fish to avoid’ by the MCS due to low stocks.
“The ocean is the blue heart of our planet and, when it comes to tackling the climate and nature crises, we ignore it at our peril,” said Helen McLachlan, fisheries programme lead at WWF. “As an independent coastal state, the UK has the chance to set a gold standard in fisheries management by delivering on the world-leading climate commitments set out in the UK fisheries act 2020 – ministers must make good on that promise.”
