Bottom Trawling Fishing Releases More Emissions Than Global Aviation

By Sally Ho 23 April, 2021

Green Queen's Ho shares key takeaways from a first of its kind study on the climate impacts from fishing

This article was first published on Green Queen on 29 Mar 2021. You can see the article here.

Scientists have revealed that bottom trawling in the fishing industry is responsible for releasing over a billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually – more than the emissions from global aviation. The findings were published in a groundbreaking international study, the first to map ocean areas that could help address the climate crisis if strong protective action is taken.

Commercial fishing releases 1.47 bt of CO2/year…

…more than emissions from global aviation

Bottom trawling, the destructive practice often used by commercial fishing companies involving dragging heavy-weighted nets across the sea floor, is releasing around 1.47 billion tonnes of aqueous carbon dioxide from the marine soil every single year. The estimate was calculated by a team of international scientists in a first-of-its-kind study mapping ocean areas in need of protection to solve the interrelated climate, food and biodiversity crises.

While the figure represents 0.02% of all sedimentary carbon locked in the ocean, it represents nearly 20% of all atmospheric carbon dioxide being absorbed by our oceans each year – rivalling the carbon losses in terrestrial soils caused by the farming industry and tops emissions coming from the global aviation sector.

“The ocean floor is the world’s largest carbon storehouse. If we’re to succeed in stopping global warming, we must leave the carbon-rich seabed undisturbed,” said study co-author Trisha Atwood of Utah State University.

“Yet every day, we are trawling the seafloor, depleting its biodiversity and mobilising millennia-old carbon and thus exacerbating climate change. Our findings about the climate impacts of bottom trawling will make the activities on the ocean’s seabed hard to ignore in climate plans going forward.”

“The ocean floor is the world’s largest carbon storehouse. If we’re to succeed in stopping global warming, we must leave the carbon-rich seabed undisturbed,”

study co-author Trisha Atwood

These findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature, represents the most comprehensive analysis about the effects of bottom trawling and the conservation strategies that will be key to solving our ecological crisis, from global heating to preventing the loss of species and habitats contributing to the natural ecosystem we depend on.

“Ocean life has been declining worldwide because of overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change. Yet only 7% of the ocean is currently under some kind of protection,”commented study lead author Enric Sala, an explorer in residence at the National Geographic Society.

“In this study, we’ve pioneered a new way to identify the places that – if protected – will boost food production and safeguard marine life, all while reducing carbon emissions.”

Using an algorithm to map areas where protections would bring about the greatest positive impact on biodiversity, seafood and climate mitigation, the scientists created a “blueprint” outlining that 30% is the minimum amount of ocean that is in need of protection, most located within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of coastal nations, as well as high seas like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Mascarene Plateau in the Indian Ocean.

Safeguarding these areas would protect 80% of marine species, and prevent the more than one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide being released due to bottom trawling.

Study has pioneered a new way to identify the places that – if protected – will boost food production and safeguard marine life, all while reducing carbon emissions…

…One notable priority for conservation is Antarctica

“One notable priority for conservation is Antarctica, which currently has little protection, but is projected to host many vulnerable species in a near future due to climate change,” highlighted study co-author David Mouillot, professor at the Université de Montpellier in France.

Fellow co-author Reniel Cabral of UC Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute added that one thing is clear: “When overfishing and other damaging activities cease, marine life bounces back.”

The team of international researchers say that the study offers an important framework for global stakeholders and leaders to consider in their climate plans going forward.

Must protect our ocean if we want to solve climate challenges

“Our approach is a way to bring multiple stakeholders to the table, to show that their interests can be prioritised, and ultimately to demonstrate that solutions that protect large ocean areas and benefit multiple simultaneous objectives exist,” said co-author Darcy Bradley, co-director of the Ocean and Fisheries Program at UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Market Solutions Lab.

“The benefits are clear,” added co-author Boris Worm, Killam research professor at Dalhousie University in Canada. “If we want to solve the three most pressing challenges of our century – biodiversity loss, climate change and food shortages – we must protect our ocean.”

Further Reading

• The Rise Of Climate Positive Food – From startups to big food companies, Green Queen’s Sally Ho shows how they are dishing out guilt-free snacks for the planet, from carbon neutral to regenerative agriculture-backed
• Making Cow Milk… Without The Cows: With 10 dairy companies emitting as much carbon as half of France, traditional dairy is not sustainable. As lab-made milk becomes reality, is it the beginning of the end for big dairy? Green Queen’s Sally Ho explores
• Why Hong Kong Needs A Meat Tax – Want to help stop Amazon deforestation? How about better health? With Asia’s climate action looking bleak, Greenqueen’s Ho sees a meat tax as HK’s chance to become a regional leader
• Hong Kong & Asian Investors Jump On First Lever VC Asia Alt Protein Fund – Investor interest in alternative protein is at an all-time high and with a bullish Asia region. Lever VC secured USD23 million in capital. Green Queen’s Sally Ho expands

More on Latest

• Can TSMC & Taiwan Manage Water To Save Global Electronics? – Taiwan’s water & climate risks plus lacklustre government actions mean the electronics sector faces significant clustered risk, warns CWR’s Dharisha Mirando
• Rising Temperatures, Melting Ratings – 63 countries will suffer climate-induced rating downgrades in the world’s first climate smart sovereign rating simulation. More key findings from Dr Klusak, Dr Agarwala, Burke, Dr Mohaddes & Dr Kraemer
• Business of Fashion’s Inaugural Sustainability Index: The Sustainability Gap – BoF’s Sarah Kent who led the inaugural sustainability index talks to us on the why, how & what’s next. Plus, see how the largest 15 global fashion companies scored
• Our Water Footprint: Labeling The Litres Less Known – Many are still blind to the impacts on water from our consumption. CWR intern, Alexandra Murray-Tacon, finds out what 5 young Hong Kongers know about their water footprint
• Getting Old & Feeling Unloved: Water Needs A Multi-Billion Dollar Makeover – Ageing water infrastructure presents a new set of problems that will eventually lead to a breakdown in our water systems. It’s time for a multi-billion dollar makeover says CWR’s Tan