CAPACITY CEILINGS IN EU FISHERIES: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DECARBONISATION PROCESS?

The report concludes that EU capacity ceilings are not a major obstacle to decarbonisation, as most Member States have available room to increase gross tonnage (GT) and kilowatt (kW) capacity. It proposes a stepwise transition: first improving energy efficiency (reducing fuel use by ~30%), then adopting hybrid solutions (potentially reducing emissions by 79% combined), and finally moving toward full decarbonisation using alternative fuels like methanol. The authors argue that decommissioning fuel-inefficient vessels to combat overfishing creates a 'win-win' by freeing up capacity for the energy transition.

• EU capacity ceilings are not a significant barrier to decarbonisation because most Member States have not yet reached their limits. On average, there is an "available room" of 27% for gross tonnage (GT) and 18% for kilowatt (kW) relative to the ceilings set in Annex II of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
• A stepwise approach to decarbonisation can achieve significant emission reductions without conflicting with capacity ceilings. Initial energy efficiency measures (e.g., speed optimisation, gear changes, and energy audits) can reduce fuel use by approximately 30%. When combined with hybrid solutions like batteries or sustainable biofuels, a total reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 79% is theoretically possible.
• Full decarbonisation via alternative fuels, such as methanol, requires larger storage volumes due to lower energy density compared to diesel, but the resulting increase in gross tonnage is likely marginal. For example, a theoretical 6,000 GT vessel switching to methanol for a five-day trip would require an additional 37 GT, which is a minor increase relative to total tonnage.
• Overfishing persists across all five case study fleets (Spain, France, Italy, The Netherlands, and Portugal), indicating that the purpose of capacity ceilings to halt overfishing is not being fulfilled. Decommissioning fuel-inefficient vessels to reduce overcapacity would simultaneously create regulatory room for the remaining fleet to adopt decarbonisation technologies.
• The report identifies fossil fuel subsidies as a significant economic barrier to the energy transition, estimating that tax exemptions for EU fishing fleets amount to between €759 million and over €1.5 billion annually.

APA

Hornborg, S., & Ziegler, F. (n.d.). CAPACITY CEILINGS IN EU FISHERIES: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DECARBONISATION PROCESS? ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/jnmphlon/decarbonise-now-rise_report_v6.pdf

Chicago

Hornborg, Sara, and Friederike Ziegler. CAPACITY CEILINGS IN EU FISHERIES: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DECARBONISATION PROCESS? ClientEarth, n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/jnmphlon/decarbonise-now-rise_report_v6.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hornborg |first1=Sara |last2=Ziegler |first2=Friederike |title=CAPACITY CEILINGS IN EU FISHERIES: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DECARBONISATION PROCESS? |publisher=ClientEarth |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/jnmphlon/decarbonise-now-rise_report_v6.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hornborgndcapacity, author = {Hornborg, Sara and Ziegler, Friederike}, title = {{CAPACITY CEILINGS IN EU FISHERIES: OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DECARBONISATION PROCESS?}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/jnmphlon/decarbonise-now-rise_report_v6.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }