Low Carbon Fishing Fleet: The Research

Compiling knowledge coast to coast to support fishermen-led action

THE RESEARCH› Policy Pathways Technology Pathways Enabling Conditions

About the Research

In 2023–2024, five researchers with deep roots in the U.S. commercial fishing industry joined forces through the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign to establish an evidence-based framework for fishing industry-led advocacy aimed at fostering a transition to a low-carbon fishing fleet.

The team engaged with stakeholders and experts across Alaska, the West Coast, and New England, including fishing vessel owners, port managers, funding intermediaries experienced in vessel energy improvements, and administrators of state and federal programs supporting vessel energy efficiency.

Their mission was: first, to gauge fishermen’s familiarity, perceptions, and firsthand experiences with various technological pathways capable of reducing carbon emissions in the fishing fleet; and second, to evaluate the effectiveness of existing state and federal initiatives in facilitating reduced diesel consumption and emissions.

Most critically, they asked fishermen: What new or improved programs would you like to see implemented to ensure a safe, affordable, equitable, and practical transition to a low-carbon fishing fleet?

READ THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Interview Participants

148

Vessel Owners
24

Incentive Program Recipients
16

Technical Assistance Intermediaries
11

Port Managers
4

Program Administrators

Meet the Research Team

Kinsey Brown

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Kinsey lives and works in Cordova, Alaska with her husband and daughter. She and her husband operate a family fishing business on their vessel, the F/V Lucid Dream, harvesting pink and chum salmon in Prince William Sound. Kinsey holds a Masters of Anthropology from the University of Hawai'i where she studied the role of local knowledge in fisheries management and social communication systems amongst fishermen.
Erika De la Rosa

INTERVIEW ENUMERATOR
Erika received her Master’s in Marine and Environmental Affairs from the University of Washington and earned her Bachelors in Political Economy and Social Entrepreneurship at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College. Erika has fished commercially for fourteen years and has worked as a commercial fisheries advocate for watershed conservation, led maritime business organizations, and launched her own company for repurposing salmon trimmings into dog treats. Read a blog about Erika’s experience.
Tim Rovinelli

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Tim is a quahogger who bullrakes in Narragansett Bay and has a background in environmental science. Previously, he crewed on an oyster farm and set-netted salmon, as well as worked for US Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and the Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries on various fishery projects. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Brown University in 2013.
Sarah Schumann

PROJECT MANAGER
Sarah fishes in Rhode Island and Alaska, and has been a salmon cannery machinist, farmers market sales associate, and deckhand on gillnet boats, lobster boats, a seine boat, and an oyster farm. To Sarah, being a fisherman goes beyond catching fish; it means standing up for the ecosystems that produce wild seafood and the communities who depend on them. Sarah holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Policy from Oxford University.
Hattie Train

INTERVIEW ENUMERATOR
Hattie grew up on the waters of Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine, where she developed a deep connection to the region’s fisheries and maritime heritage. Before earning a degree in marine science from the University of Maine, she spent her summers lobstering on her own student license and working alongside her father and grandfather on their lobster boats. Hattie founded Wharfside Associates in 2023 out of a passion for the fisheries and a commitment to preserving the maritime traditions that shaped her life.

Policy Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

The first five volumes in this series blend experiential accounts provided by fishermen with insights provided by program administrators and technical assistance intermediaries to evaluate current performance, utilization, latent opportunities, and areas for possible improvement in state and federal incentive programs capable of supporting energy efficiency and diesel emissions reductions on fishing vessels. The sixth volume in the Policy Pathways series synthesizes fishermen’s visions for new and expanded state and federal programs and policies aimed at facilitating a safe, affordable, and equitable transition to a low-carbon fishing fleet.

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

Low Carbon Fishing Fleet Reports

Volume 1: EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program

In this volume: DERA is one of several existing public programs that offers an expandable or replicable model for supporting a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. Commercial fishermen have had limited success tapping into the benefits of its national grants program. Through several case studies, we probe the reasons why, and learn how a few fishermen’s organizations have been able to buck this trend and repower vessels in their fleet with new, higher EPA tier engines by using this program.

Volume 2: EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Tribal Grants Program

In this volume: DERA is one of several existing public programs that offers an expandable or replicable model for supporting a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. Pacific Northwest tribes have an impressive track record of leveraging this federal program to support fleet repowers for their fishermen. In this volume, we learn the secrets to their success as well as ways the program could potentially be improved.

Volume 3: EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) State Grants Program

In this volume: DERA is one of several existing public programs that offers an expandable or replicable model for supporting a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. States receive EPA funding to implement their own DERA programs; some choose to include fishing vessels while others do not. In this volume, we learn from fishermen in Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island who have utilized the program to repower their engines, illuminating both the programs’ highlights and areas for improvement.

Volume 4: USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)

In this volume: REAP is one of several existing public programs that offers an expandable or replicable model for supporting a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. Fishermen and their partners in Alaska have used a networked approach to unlock the benefits of this program, helping fishermen access technical assistance, energy audits, and investments in refrigeration, lighting, and more. Lessons from this success story can help fishermen in other rural areas achieve similar benefits.

Volume 5: California’s Carl Moyer and Related Programs

In this volume: Carl Moyer is one of several existing public programs that offers an expandable or replicable model for supporting a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. California’s state policy has enabled its fleet to have some of the newest engines in the nation. In this volume, we share lessons from fishermen who have accessed or attempted to access this program, an engine installer who helps fishermen access this funding, and an air district administrator who plays a role in funding decisions.

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

In this volume: Sourced from fishermen coast to coast, this volume outlines an ambitious vision for a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet buttressed by holistic federal and state support and taking 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.

POLICY ANALYSIS

Through a collaboration with the Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University, we procured a policy analysis of existing state and federal programs and a how-to guide on navigating the policymaking processes associated with these programs. These reports were produced through a funding collaboration with the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Development Programs, based in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Roses Laughlin, Policy Analyst

Roses Laughlin is a former Research Attorney with the Marine Affairs Institute and the Rhode Island Sea Grant Legal Program. She graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law with a concentration in Environmental and Natural Resources Law.

Laughlin, R. 2024. Federal and State Financial Support for Reducing Emissions from Fishing Vessels

In this report: This analysis encapsulates the legal authorities and structures of the five incentive programs considered in our Policy Pathways series: the EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), and California’s Carl Moyer Program. Topics include fishing vessel eligibility, applicant eligibility, project prioritization schemes, enabling legislation, and agency implementation rules.

Laughlin, R. 2024. Expanding Pathways for Comprehensive Support for Commercial Fishing’s Involvement in Reducing Emissions from Marine Vessels

In this report: This analysis identifies specific policy-related leverage points that fishing industry change-makers can target when striving to expand and improve existing programs to support a transition to a low carbon fleet — for instance, whether a desired improvement requires legislative reauthorization or whether it can be made through federal agency rulemaking, local agency planning, or another approach.

Technology Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

Volumes in this series explore real-world experiences, motivations, and barriers to adoption for numerous energy conservation strategies, as well as next-generation power systems such as electric propulsion, alternative liquid and gaseous fuels, and more. This series serves not only as a foundation for thoughtful design of policies to support the development, testing, and adoption of a menu of viable technologies, but also as a jumping-off point for continued dialogue and peer-to-peer knowledge transfer among fishermen — a critical precursor to technology adoption.

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

Low Carbon Fishing Fleet Reports

Volume 1: Diesel Engine Efficiency and Emissions Reduction Innovations

In this volume: Advancements in diesel engine technology have been driven in recent decades by EPA regulations designed to improve local air quality, a goal that is distinct from reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This volume describes diverging views among fishermen regarding the fuel efficiency and other pros and cons of newer, computer-controlled engines developed in response to EPA air quality regulations.

Volume 2: Tools and Strategies to Enhance Propulsion Efficiency

In this volume: Whether towing mobile fishing gear or transiting between port and fixed gear locations, propulsion is typically the largest power draw on a fishing vessel. This volume explores real-world experiences, motivations, and barriers to adopting energy-efficient innovations, including three innovations featured in the interview questionnaire (fuel flow meters, bulbous bows, and propeller nozzles) as well as numerous innovations introduced by interviewees themselves.

Volume 3: Tools and Strategies to Enhance Non-Propulsion Efficiency

In this volume: Non-propulsion energy loads include deck machinery, refrigeration, lighting, hotel uses, and navigation equipment. In this volume, we explore real-world experiences, motivations, and barriers to adopting energy-efficient innovations, including four innovations featured in the interview questionnaire (load-sensing hydraulic pumps, electric deck machinery, LED lighting, and improved fish hold insulation) as well as numerous innovations introduced by interviewees themselves.

Volume 4: Electric and Hybrid Power and Propulsion

In this volume: This volume explores the feasibility, benefits, and challenges of adopting pure battery-electric and hybrid-electric systems to diesel-electric setups, and synthesizes fishermen’s perspectives on each type of system. The report highlights a need for further innovation, targeted incentives, and improved infrastructure to facilitate adoption of electric propulsion in fishing fleets, while also underscoring the fact that electric propulsion will not be appropriate or desirable for all fleets and vessels.

Volume 5: Alternative Liquid and Gaseous Fuels

In this volume: This volume assesses prospects for using alternative liquid and gaseous fuels in commercial fishing vessels, including biomass-derived fuels (e.g., waste vegetable oil, biodiesel, renewable diesel, renewable natural gas) and power-to-fuel options (e.g., hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and e-diesel), outlining potential benefits and limitations of each fuel type as articulated by potential end users in the fishing industry, providing insights for future innovation pathways and illuminating areas where enabling programs could be most useful.

Volume 6: Additional Alternative Power Sources

In this volume: This volume explores several innovative alternative propulsion and power generation technologies for possible use on commercial fishing vessels, including sail propulsion and electrical power generation from solar, wave, and nuclear energy. Wind-assisted propulsion through use of sails is currently used by a portion of the Pacific albacore fleet and is valued for extending range, saving fuel, and stabilizing vessels, while newer concepts like kite propulsion and rotor sails are also of interest to fishermen.

Enabling Conditions for a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

Because innovation and policy-making can only succeed if designed with attention to the real-world contexts in which they occur, these volumes: (a) synthesize information about current energy use on fishing vessels, including a set of profiles of regional fishing fleets whose participation was central to the research; (b) draw attention to economic and ecological challenges facing the fishing industry and the role of human capital, fisheries management, and other regulations in constraining or enabling opportunities for energy innovation; and (c) bring together voices of fishermen and port managers to underscore the need for coordinated planning and investment to pave the way for alternative fuels and electrification across fishing ports of all sizes and across the urban-to-rural spectrum.

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

Low Carbon Fishing Fleet Reports

Volume 1: The Fishing Vessel Energy Baseline

In this volume: This volume describes the current landscape of energy consumption in fisheries, focusing on eight fleets: Alaska salmon seine, Bristol Bay gillnet, New England bottom trawl, New England gillnet, New England inshore lobster, New England scallop dredge, Southern California pot/hook/dive, and West Coast tuna/crab/salmon. Five fleets with a smaller presence in our project are also reviewed: Alaska longline/troll, Alaska salmon tenders, New England hook and line, New England midwater trawl, and Port Orford fisheries.

Volume 2: The Socio-Economic and Regulatory Context

In this volume: This volume explores socio-economic and regulatory factors that may retard or accelerate a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet. It draws attention to the economic challenges propelled by increasing costs, unpredictable revenues, regulatory uncertainty, and climate change impacts, which can hinder investments in technologies and vessel upgrades, and examines the role of fisheries management and safety regulations in constraining or enabling opportunities for innovation.

Volume 3: Waterfront Infrastructure

In this volume: This volume explores the critical role of shoreside infrastructure in enabling a transition to a low-carbon fishing fleet. Specific themes include the readiness of ports to handle next-generation fuels, the potential strain of increased electrical demand from vessel electrification, and the necessity of developing regional clean transportation corridors to support the mobility of fishing fleets.

Reactions from the Fleet

“This research is vital in making sure that future legislation and regulation are able to not only preserve the maritime heritage present in our local fisheries, but also to propel them forward into the future of sustainability. Allowing our fisheries to join us on the journey of climate change mitigation and energy transition is paramount to preserving heart-healthy, sustainably-sourced proteins in our diets, as well as a way of life and social connection that has built not only communities, but entire economies. We're proud to have helped support this work, and we look forward to continuing these conversations.”

Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County (Bellingham, Washington)
“Fishing is more than a way of life. It is a calling. If we look at it in this way, we have to plan far into the future, not just the next trip or season. If commercial fishermen are not the climate and energy leaders, we will be stuck with programs that do not work and are not helpful to commercial fishermen.”

Pete Halmay, commercial fisherman and President of the San Diego Fishermen's Working Group (San Diego, California)
“Seafood has the lowest carbon footprint of any major protein source in America and while we celebrate that status, we are proud to work through Fishermen Friendly Climate Action Campaign to identify and promote additional decarbonization efforts to protect our planet and our fisheries.”

Linda Behnken, F/V Woodstock (Sitka, Alaska) and Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. Read more about ALFA’s fishing fleet decarbonization work here.
“Those of us who fish for a living, work at sea, and come home to our small communities, know well how much we rely on each other – whether it’s a matter of safety out on the water, or the realization that, to a great extent, we will succeed or fail together. When we see a need, such as our first-hand recognition of climate change, we want to jump in to help. Any programs developed should take advantage of our knowledge, energies, and our ‘get ‘er done’ attitude right from the start.”

Richard Nelson, retired lobsterman (Friendship, Maine) and co-author of EV on H20: The Feasibility of Electrifying Maine’s Lobster Fleet
“The fishing industry is a cornerstone of coastal communities, providing livelihoods and low-carbon protein sources. However, high fuel costs, aging infrastructure, and climate volatility threaten its sustainability, especially within our island community. This report not only highlights challenges but also offers a roadmap to empower the fishing community to lead the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy sources.”

Shelley Edmundson, Executive Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust (Menemsha, Massachusetts)
“The Native people have been enjoying this miracle of Bristol Bay for thousands of years. Commercial fishermen have only been part of it for 150 years. It would be wonderful if we can find a way to continue this miracle of nature that provides for so many. Moving to being carbon-free is part of that puzzle.”

Robert Buchmayr, F/V Okuma (Dillingham, Alaska)
“Fishing isn’t just a job, but a way of life, forging us the opportunity to control our destiny to harness and address climate control through sound research. Hands-on experience and experimenting will provide a pathway to resilience. This is our culture and the beating heart of our future.”

Fred Mattera, Executive Director of the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island (Kingston, Rhode Island)
“Commercial fisherfolk have the biggest incentive to recognize and address the cause and remedy to climate change. “After all, we depend entirely on healthy marine ecosystems in order to supply the markets with the world's last wild protein. The health of the planet and our livelihoods are tied directly to the health of our marine environment. Awareness, open minds and thoughtful solutions are our only hope as the human stewards of this abundant public resource."

Aaron Longton, F/V Goldeneye (Port Orford, Oregon) and founder of Port Orford Sustainable Seafood
“Fishing families and businesses care about the ocean environment because it provides the best natural protein in the world, and that needs to be protected – including from climate pollution. In Massachusetts, we are leading the charge toward fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and fishing industry-led decarbonization through our Energy Efficient Fisheries project, which kicked off in 2023. I hope that the seafood industry can count on the partnership of the public and policy makers on these critical issues.”

Angela Sanfilippo, President of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives’ Association and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership (Gloucester, Massachusetts). Read more about the Energy Efficient Fisheries project here.
“Federal management needs to reconsider its role in excess carbon production. For example, fishermen are often required to travel long distances to deliver fish in specific ports far from their fishing grounds, which costs fishermen valuable time and money, increases risk, and generates unnecessary carbon emissions. It’s time for state and federal fisheries managers to take a hard look at how their decisions contribute to the climate change that’s impacting our oceans.”

Chris Brown, F/V Proud Mary (Point Judith, Rhode Island) and president of the Seafood Harvesters of America
“Commercial fishing is more than a job. It’s a way of life not only for the fisherman but for his entire family. It brings communities together and feeds a nation and helped build this great nation and now we need to help ensure the oceans remain clean and pristine as the commercial fisherman depend upon them to feed Americans and earn a living.”

Beth Casoni, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association (Scituate, Massachusetts)
“This work is necessary not only for our fishing businesses but for the planet and ecosystems we live in and rely on. The fact that the research and reports produced through the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign are compiled by fishermen ensures the information is practical and actionable within our broader fishing fleets and communities.”

Frances Bursch, Bristol Bay salmon fisherman (Pilot Point, Alaska) and co-owner of Wild North Salmon LLC

Low Carbon Fishing Fleet: The Research

About the Research

Interview Participants

148

24

16

11

4

Kinsey Brown

Erika De la Rosa

Tim Rovinelli

Sarah Schumann

Hattie Train

Policy Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

Supporting Materials:

POLICY ANALYSIS

Technology Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

Enabling Conditions for a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet

VOLUMES IN THE SERIES

“Seafood has the lowest carbon footprint of any major protein source in America and while we celebrate that status, we are proud to work through Fishermen Friendly Climate Action Campaign to identify and promote additional decarbonization efforts to protect our planet and our fisheries.”

“Fishing isn’t just a job, but a way of life, forging us the opportunity to control our destiny to harness and address climate control through sound research. Hands-on experience and experimenting will provide a pathway to resilience. This is our culture and the beating heart of our future.”