What is DecarbonyT
Decarbonisation of the fishing fleet in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
Project coordinator: Antonello Sala
The DecarbonyT project aims to define a future direction towards high potential fishing fleet improvement.
The overarching goal is to assess to what extent the use of optimized trawling gears in the Mediterranean and Black Sea can lead to lower fuel consumption and contribute to more decarbonized fishing fleets.
The following towed fishing gears are covered: otter trawlers (OTB); beam trawls (TBB); and pelagic trawlers (OTM).
- Contracting Authority
- Responsibility for the management of actions
- Ensure delivery of quality results and performance of the projects/studies/contracts
DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR MARITIME AFFAIRS AND FISHERIES
- Policy Development
- Adopt EMFAF Work Programmes
- Evaluate EMFAF programme implementation
What is the issue?
Fishing activities, such like other productive sectors, contribute to atmospheric CO2 emissions due to the use of non-renewable fuel sources by vessels and fleets.
What are we doing?
Through the DecarbonyT research initiative, supported by the European Union, we engage in scientific research within the Mediterranean and Black Sea fishing zones, exploring the capabilities of experimental fishing gears to diminish CO2 emissions.
Sea trials in the six Mediterranean and Black Sea fishing areas focus on the adoption of experimental nets and otterboards to ensure improved hydrodynamic performance, leading to reduced fuel use intensity (litres/kg fish).
The cutting-edge fishing gear under examination holds the potential to significantly enhance environmental impacts by reducing the carbon footprint and safeguarding marine ecosystems.
Fuel consumption monitoring before and after the introduction of experimental fishing gear is translated into CO2 emissions per kilogram of caught fish product.
Partners responsible for various tasks and subtasks collaborate to consolidate data gathered during sea trials across six identified fishing areas, for final analysis and quantification of carbon footprint mitigation for each fishing area/gear combination.
Adopting new gears and practices in the fishing industry allows for the achievement of crucial energy savings and carbon footprint mitigation goals. The DecarbonyT study compares CO2 emissions between "baseline" scenarios (using conventional fishing gears) and new fuel saving fishing gears.
Data collected from sea trials and selected scientific studies are processed and made publicly available to all stakeholders. These are validated through blockchain technology and published on the DecarbonyT.eu website's data visualization dashboard.
DecarbonyT project Partners
The DecarbonyT Consortium is a multi-disciplinary team that involves more than 70 scientists from 17 organizations across 7 EU countries, comprising of a broad range of scientific disciplines. The scientific experts encompass ecology, ecosystem modellers, fisheries biologist, gear technologists, engineering specialists, and economists. Everyone collaborates to shape more sustainable, green futures for the fishing industry.
Tasks overview
The objectives of the DecarbonyT project will be achieved through a project management and coordination Task (Task 0), and four different technical Tasks (Task 1-4) albeit intimately associated.
TASK 0
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TASK 1
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TASK 2
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TASK 3
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TASK 4
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