Barriers for Decarbonization in the Norwegian Coastal Fishing Fleet: A Background Study Focusing on Safety and Environmental Performance

Norwegian fisheries play an important role nationally and internationally as a provider of healthy and protein-rich food to many people. Further, they not only contribute to the Norwegian economy but also the countries CO2 emissions and there is a need for decarbonization in this industry sector. In this paper the focus is on the Norwegian coastal fishing fleet and the objective is to provide an overview of the barriers preventing decarbonization in this fleet. An example is given on how a diesel-electric propulsion system can be implemented on board a small-scale fishing vessel. The concerns and perspectives of the fishers and other involved stakeholders are presented based on semi-structured interviews, literature search, and statistics. The main findings in the paper are that incomplete knowledge and experience about the safety, reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance of the new propulsion systems are important barriers for reducing CO2 emissions in this sector. Academic research in form of better analysis and evaluation of these factors is needed to overcome these barriers. Therefore, the paper also discusses how methods, such as the System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), can be used to provide additional knowledge and trust in the hybrid system. By pointing out the main barriers and giving indications about future research needed, this paper provides a solid background for further work on the topic of decarbonization in the Norwegian coastal fishing fleet.