Volume 6: Fishermen’s Recommendations for New Programs and Policies

Abstract

This report, part of the Policy Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet series, synthesizes recommendations for new and expanded state and federal programs and policies aimed at facilitating a safe, affordable, and equitable transition to a lowcarbon fishing fleet. Recommendations are sourced from interviews with 148 fishing businesses across Alaska, the West Coast, and New England, supplemented by insights gleaned from interviews with port managers, technical assistance and grant management intermediaries, and program administrators.

The ambitious vision emerging from these interviews is buttressed by strong and holistic federal and state support and takes the form of a five-pronged strategy encompassing research and development, pilot and demonstration projects, knowledge transfer and workforce development, incentive programs to defray costs of adoption, and the creation of comprehensive energy transition plans for fishing ports. Recommendations include incremental improvements to existing programs such as DERA, Carl Moyer, and REAP – which, while limited in scope and not specifically designed to reduce fossil fuel reliance by fishing vessels, provide valuable partial solutions and replicable models – while also proposing bold new initiatives that extend far beyond these frameworks.

The findings emphasize a vital need for collaboration between the fishing industry and all levels of government to advance energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts within this hard-to-decarbonize sector. By combining bottom-up leadership from the fishing community with robust and comprehensive government support, the report outlines a path toward a more resilient fishing industry that aligns with climate goals while sustaining coastal economies.