Fisheries officials call for better data to drive energy transition

The Fisheries Division on Thursday urged stronger data collection to support the country’s shift to renewable energy, warning that the marine industry’s dependence on fossil fuels poses economic and environmental risks as climate change accelerates.

 

Industry figures have called for policies to reflect the need for improved data collection and renewable energy resources as the first National Enhanced Statistics for Evidence-Based Climate Action in Maritime Trade, Maritime Transport and Fisheries in Barbados got underway at UN House.

 

The two-day workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Barbados Statistical Service, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Maritime Organization and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

 

Chief Fisheries Officer Shelly-Ann Cox said the workshop seeks to address critical and urgent global issues, as countries target net zero goals.

 

She acknowledged that the fisheries sector’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions but stressed its importance to Barbados’ social and economic development.

 

Cox said: “The average annual diesel usage was an important, I’d say, data point that we wanted to collect as well, but we realised that, of course, certain systems aren’t in place to do this, but working with one of the fuel companies on the island, we were able to get a data set that had diesel consumption for 12 years and this is just one diesel pump in the Bridgetown Fisheries complex and it was estimated at one million litres per year.”

 

She revealed that in 2023 the Fisheries Division initiated a remarking and data collection exercise by fisheries data analysts and the vessel inspectorate to clean their database and determine how many active boats are at the ports. Post-Hurricane Beryl, there are 217.

 

Cox said there is still a gap in data collection: “Fishing vessel owners and captains buy gasoline from the normal gas station, so there is no real way to capture their exact consumption there, but just with that limited data, we already see that this high demand supports a justification for exploring alternative energy sources to support a just energy transition for our fishing fleet.”

 

The chief fisheries officer noted that fisheries policy supports renewable energy through tax exemptions for green fishing projects. “One of the strategies in the policy outlines the examination of the possibility of providing tax exemptions for projects supported by local enterprises, including those focusing on the greening of the fishery sector.”

 

She added: “When you look at our Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, there is a dedicated section on fisheries and energy, which makes provisions for our green fishing schemes and provides a regime for issuing fishing vessel energy efficiency certificates.”

 

Cox identified the challenges of biodiesel supply chains, the high cost of charging infrastructure at landing sites, and capital costs.

 

She said: “Ensuring a steady supply of biodiesel, for instance, given the high fuel usage, however, fragmented global supply chains and the low production of biodiesel locally may impact on the consistent supply needed to support efficient operations.”

 

Elevated initial costs are another barrier: “Cost and annual maintenance costs of charging infrastructure needed to be at fish landing sites to support the transition to electric outboard and inboard engines, this might also hinder the uptake by boat owners.”

 

But Cox pointed to opportunities emerging from the shift to renewables: “In collaboration with our fisheries stakeholders, we have installed vessel monitoring systems to support research that will provide the data insights needed to determine energy requirements. Just last month, we reached our 100th vessel monitoring device installation. We’re up to 101, so this is a very important milestone as we roll out this data-driven solution to inform our decision-making.”

 

Data shows which innovations work and which are energy efficient, the chief fisheries officer said.

 

“There has been a successful uptake of solar-powered battery chargers in Barbados and a keen interest in the introduction of hybrid and electric-powered outboard engines and hybrid inboard engines, demonstrating that fishersfolk are willing to input costs and improve their operations. Looking towards the future, renewable ocean energy systems may offer solutions for reducing the industry’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels.”

 

Barbadian innovators are developing alternative energy systems, she added but stressed that policies are needed to support them.

 

“It would be prudent to develop policies that support opportunities to scale up operations to meet the demand for diesel usage of the fishing fleet in Barbados.”

 

Cox commended UNCTAD for organising the training to highlight this critical issue and discuss recommendations for solutions to catalyse the just energy transition.

 

She said: “We look forward to future research that will provide a complete analysis of the energy transition of the fisheries sector, including a review of the entire fisheries value chain, sustainable fisheries, and ecosystem management.”

(LG)