Published Paper Details:

Globally food production contributes one by fourth of the greenhouse gas emissions by anthropogenic activities. Dominance of fuel use in making hazards to the environment in the form of carbon emission is a proven fact in food producing sectors including fisheries. An assessment of carbon emission by mechanised trawl fishery in Kerala is carried out. According to the study, mechanized trawlers in the state released 0.45 million tonnes of carbon in a year exclusively through fuel use at the rate of 2.24 kg CO2 per kg of fish landed during the period of study. Total carbon emission from a mechanised trawler in a year is estimated as 206 tonnes. Comparing different length class of trawlers, it is understood that rate of carbon emission is least in very large trawlers (1.87 kg per kg of fish) followed by medium trawlers (1.98 kg per kg of fish), large trawlers (2.6 kg per kg of fish), small trawlers (single-day) (2.73 kg per kg of fish) and small trawlers (multi-day) (4.03 kg per kg of fish). Comparing single-day and multi-day trawlers of similar size, latter found to be emitting 48% more carbon per kg of fish landed.