Fishing for a sustainable future>>27-9-2010
As the world’s population continues to grow, pressure on the earth’s resources increases. According to the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization the ocean is a key source of food for a large proportion of the world’s population, especially those living in developing countries. Approximately 1 billion people depend on fish as their key source of animal protein and 200 million people depend on fishing for their livelihoods.
Ropes and nets made with Dyneema® have been gradually replacing steel warps and nylon nets on leading fishing vessels and fleets around the world. According to a recent independent study commissioned by DSM and conducted by Triple Value, a specialist consultancy, the use of Dyneema® in pelagic fishing nets bring a number of benefits due to their extremely low weight. Fuel is a major expense for fishing vessel operators, and the use of Dyneema® in place of steel and nylon can reduce fuel consumption by over 10% due to lower drag. However, this lower drag can also yield other indirect benefits. Nets can be bigger, allowing better catch performance, shorter drag times and shorter trips. Alternatively, lighter nets allow the vessel to operate at higher speeds, allowing them to catch faster swimming fish.
Of course, reduced fuel consumption results in reduced CO2 emissions. However, this pales into insignificance relative to the problems of over-fishing. Only now are governments and other agencies beginning to turn the tide (sic) in the battle against continuing depletion of the world’s stocks. According to the Marine Stewardship Council, which has certified over 40 fisheries worldwide as sustainable, one of the greatest risks to fish stocks is “bycatch”. Bycatch is the term used to describe any species that is accidentally caught up in fishing gear, i.e. species that are not targeted by the fishers. This can include other fish, juveniles and species such as birds, turtles, corals and marine mammals. There is some anecdotal evidence from the same study that nets made from Dyneema® spread more effectively, which could lead to reduced by-catch of smaller and juvenile fish. DSM Dyneema is currently seeking partners to study this further, eventually leading to the development of new net designs which optimize the benefits of Dyneema®.
The future of commercial fishing is everybody’s future: get in touch and let’s start working together at www.commercialfishing.dyneema.com
Andre van Wageningen
Marketing Manager
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