Sustainability of Norway lobster fishing in Danish waters

Recent debate about trawl fishing in Danish waters is characterized by two conflicting wishes: protection of the marine environment with arguments that trawl fishing is incompatible with this, and a protection of a
economically sustainable fishing in which trawl fishing is a significant element. This project is a comprehensive study of both the economic and environmental conditions that are affected if one replaces trawl with fishing traps. The project partly collects data from countries that already have well-established seine fisheries and from an ambitious trial where a Danish trawler is rigged for seine fishing.
The debate is not new, but changes such as rising fuel prices, the imminent introduction of a CO2 tax, the establishment of trawl-free sea areas and increased interest in the production of sustainable food, can
influence the balance for the optimal choice of gear and has initiated an interest among Danish fishermen as well as purchasers and consumers in documenting the effect of fishing with a smaller climate and environmental footprint.
The purpose of the project is to document the conditions that are decisive for a conversion to fish traps for spiny lobster in Danish waters, including profitability, CO2 emissions and bottom impact.
Hereby, we highlight both which vessels can be advantageously included in the fishery as well as the environmental benefits of such a change. The information will strengthen the public debate about Danish fishing and increase the decision-making basis for the individual fisherman, for the profession and for the administration, and thus promote the sustainable development of the fishing sector.