Life Cycle Assessment based identification of Environmental Hotspots in Commercial Trawl Fisheries of Kerala and Mitigation Strategies
Life Cycle Assessment based identification of Environmental Hotspots in Commercial Trawl Fisheries of Kerala and Mitigation Strategies
Date
2020
Authors
Ravi, Renju
Das, P. H. Dhiju
Edwin, Leela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society of Fisheries Technologists (India)
Abstract
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to identify
environmentally preferred products or processes
and can be used as a support tool for decisionmaking
and policy development. In India, LCA of
trawl fishing, wherein impact categories such as
Global warming potential (GWP), Abiotic depletion
potential (fossil) (ADP), Acidification potential (AP),
Eutrophication potential (EP), Marine aquatic
ecotoxicity potential (MAETP), Ozone layer depletion
potential (ODP) and Photochemical ozone
creation potential (POCP), are not studied. In this
study, LCA and carbon footprint of fish production
by trawlers operating in Kerala fisheries sector has
been carried out. Direct energy input for fishing
operations due to consumption of fuel account for
75 to 90% of the total energy inputs when compared
with energy inputs associated with vessel construction
and maintenance, fishing gear and others. The
study showed that, the impact categories such as
GWP, ADP, AP, EP and POCP are predominantly
related to the consumption of diesel for vessel
operation and hence identified as the main hotspot
with respect to environmental burdens which need
focussed action in mitigation approaches. The
results of this study delineates approaches for
reducing carbon footprint of the trawl caught
resources in Kerala.
Description
Keywords
LCA, global warming potential, rawling, Kerala fisheries