Ecological fisherman on an ecological cutter. HY2FISH with a budget of 2.2 million euros
By Marek Grzybowski
The European Commission (DG MARE) and CINEA announced in January 2025 that the HY2FISH project had been launched. It is emphasized that it is a pioneering initiative in the marine fisheries and aquaculture sector. It aims to build ecological fishing vessels and reduce the impact of fishing vessels on the environment. The project received EU funding of €2.2 million under the Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions program.
The HY2FISH project aims to develop and demonstrate innovative, scalable and cost-effective solutions on a fishing vessel. This will be achieved by modernizing a demonstration fishing vessel that will operate off the coast of Spain. The aim is to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 40% – informs DG MARE, the Commission department responsible for EU policy on maritime affairs and fisheries. The project is supported by CINEA, the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment.
The project is coordinated by ARVI, La Cooperativa de Armadores de Pesca del Puerto de Vigo. It is a cluster of fishing vessel owners based in Vigo. The project partners are a group of 11 partner organisations from 8 European countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania and Germany.
By promoting sustainable fishing vessels, the project is in line with the objectives set out in the Commission Communication “On the Energy Transition of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector”, which outlines the directions for the energy transition of the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Fishing is getting more expensive
The activities covered by this document are justified by the fact that “Energy [read: fuel for fishing vessels – MG] is one of the main cost items in the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector”. This trend became particularly acute in the second decade of the 21st century, although of course fuel price spikes had already occurred many times before. European Union fishermen were particularly affected by subsequent fuel price increases at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century. Prices of marine fuel for fishing vessel engines more than doubled in 2022 compared to average prices in 2021.
– This in turn led to a sharp increase in the operating costs of the fishing fleet, with energy costs increasing from 13% of revenue in 2020 to an estimated 35% in 2022 – it is calculated in the European Commission document. This significantly worsened the economic profitability of EU fishing fleets and aquaculture-related activities.
The net profit of the EU fishing fleet was estimated to have fallen sharply from a positive €218 million in 2021 to a loss of €430 million in 2022. It found that around 40% of the small cutter fleet, 66% of the large catching vessels fleet and 87% of the distant water fleet were not profitable at the fuel price levels offered to fishermen in 2022. The analysis of the profitability of fishing fleets showed that a 10 cent per litre increase in fuel price reduces the annual gross profit of the entire EU fishing sector by €185 million.
The authors of the report recognise that technological barriers are one of the significant constraints to the modernisation of fishing vessels. These can hinder the adoption of new technologies, especially given that a large part of the fishing fleet is relatively outdated. The fact that many fishermen operate in the coastal zone on a small scale makes it difficult to introduce innovation.
– These technological barriers can prevent ships from being modernized using current renewable and low-emission energy sources. One of the main causes of these barriers is the weight or size of the installation, which can cause safety issues, especially on smaller ships. For example, alternative propulsion systems can require more space on board, cause problems with the stability of the ship or reduce the range of the ship and therefore its level of autonomy – enumerate the experts who prepared the European Commission communication.
Among other limitations, “the lack of appropriate service infrastructure for both ships using alternative fuels (e.g. ammonia, methanol) and electric ships using charging infrastructure” is noted. Fishermen therefore face the same problem as shipowners of commercial ships, ferries or passenger ships. The introduction of units with new propulsion requires appropriate, expensive infrastructure.
It is therefore noted that “in many cases the adoption of such propulsion technologies is not feasible”. It is emphasized that “Innovations can help overcome technological barriers, but the innovation process may encounter its own barriers”. Surveys conducted among fishermen and in fishing ports show a lack of knowledge transfer and cooperation between the sector and scientists, a lack of scientific confirmation of the economic efficiency of new technologies through scientific tests and pilot programmes, and a lack of trust in innovation among some stakeholders.
Vigo fishermen focus on innovation
It seems that choosing the Spanish fishing cooperative as the project leader is a good decision. The cooperative of Vigo fishermen carries out many innovative projects and is present in many waters. Cooperativa de Armadores de Pesca del Puerto de Vigo (ARVI) has been operating in the industry for 60 years. ARVI has a total of 166 associated vessels, which operate within 128 shipowner companies. In addition, 5 fishing associations and 3 fish producer organizations, with legal personality and activities separate from ARVI, share their headquarters and offices in the port of Vigo. All of them participate in the cluster of the extractive and production fishing sector, with a technological and research character – informs ARVI. It is the largest group of fishing vessel owners in Spain and one of the largest in the EU. ARVI includes entities with a national and international scope, with fleets that operate in all the seas of the world.
Source: ARVI
During the 60th anniversary celebrations, it was emphasized that “since its foundation in 1964, ARVI has been a fundamental pillar in the development and sustainability of the fishing sector in our city”. – Over the last six decades, we have worked tirelessly to promote responsible, innovative and sustainable fishing practices, always with the aim of guaranteeing the well-being of our communities and protecting marine resources – informs the management of ARVI.
It was also emphasized that ARVI intends to continue to lead initiatives promoting technological innovation. The fishermen’s cooperative will focus on “continuous training of professionals and cooperation with national and international entities in order to ensure a successful and sustainable future for the fishing sector”.
Over the next three years, the HY2FISH consortium will work together to design, test and validate new technologies and practices on a demonstration fishing vessel, paving the way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly fishing industry – explains the European Commission in a press release.
Key activities include designing recyclable hull components to increase hydrodynamics and reduce noise, implementing hybrid propulsion systems with hydrogen generators, fuel cells and marine batteries, and installing lightweight, flexible photovoltaic panels.
The conclusions from the project will also be useful for fishermen operating in the Baltic Sea, including Polish ones. Innovations used on a large scale in the merchant fleet and on yachts will sooner or later have to be implemented in fishing fleets and those servicing fish farms. Fishing ports must also take into account the growing pressure to introduce innovations and energy-saving solutions in marine fishing.