Nordic study examines seafood’s climate hotspots

Fuel use is by far the main source of emissions in capture fisheries, while feed accounts for the largest share of emissions from aquaculture.

“The report shows that seafood cannot be treated as one uniform product category,” says Bente Torstensen, CEO of Nofima.

The climate footprint depends on how the seafood is caught

The study covers the seafood sectors of the five Nordic countries, as well as the two self-governing territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It was carried out under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers and prepared by researchers from Nordic research and university institutions.

“The report does not identify one particular type of seafood as a general climate problem. Instead, it shows that emissions can be high in fuel-intensive fisheries, energy-intensive processing, and aquaculture systems where feed production or electricity use generate substantial emissions. The key finding is that the climate footprint depends on how seafood is caught, farmed, processed and transported. This means that measures must target the most emission-intensive parts of the value chain,” Torstensen says.

At the same time, many Nordic seafood products have a lower climate footprint per kilogram of edible product than animal-based foods from agriculture, particularly meat from ruminant animals.

Where do emissions arise?

The study makes it possible to identify the main drivers of emissions across different parts of the sector:

• Capture fisheries: Fuel use is normally the dominant factor. Emissions depend on fishing gear, vessel type, fishing grounds, stock abundance, steaming distance and the level of activity required to land each kilogram of catch.
• Aquaculture: From a life-cycle perspective, feed production and feed composition are generally the most important sources of emissions. Direct energy use depends on the technology and electricity mix and can be particularly significant in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems.
• Processing: The climate impact depends, among other things, on the electricity mix, chilling and freezing requirements, whether processing takes place on board or on land, and whether processes such as fishmeal processes rely on fossil fuels.
• Transport: The importance of transport varies greatly by product form and mode of transport. Shipping generally has lower emissions per tonne than air freight, while air cargo fresh fish can substantially increase its climate footprint.

Findings from the countries

• Denmark: Emissions from fisheries are largely driven by diesel use. Aquaculture emissions fell by 29% to 63,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalents in 2023, mainly due to improved feed efficiency and cleaner electricity. A CO₂ tax on fisheries is planned from 2029.
• Faroe Islands: Fisheries, processing and salmon farming are closely integrated. Capture fisheries are the largest single source of territorial emissions, estimated at 260,000–290,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Feed dominates the life-cycle emissions of farmed salmon, while air freight increases the climate footprint.
• Finland: Emissions are shaped by energy use in fishing and feed use in aquaculture. Rainbow trout is particularly important in freshwater farming, and improved feed efficiency and low-emission energy are key measures.
• Greenland: Offshore trawlers and processing based on fossil energy generate high emissions. Processing emissions depend heavily on whether facilities have access to hydropower or rely on fossil fuels. Centralising processing could reduce emissions but may come at the expense of jobs and value creation in coastal communities.
• Iceland: Emissions vary with pelagic fisheries and steaming distances. Fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing emitted 692,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalents in 2023. Fuel combustion in fishing dominates but fishmeal production and energy use in processing are important sources, while a rapidly expanding aquaculture sector makes feed increasingly important.
• Norway: Feed is the largest source of emissions in salmon farming, while fuel is the main challenge in the fishing fleet. There are, however, major differences between vessel groups, gear types, and fisheries. Renewable electricity offers opportunities for lower emissions from processing, but emissions from feed, maritime operations, and the fleet still require targeted action.
• Sweden: Fuel dominates emissions from fisheries, while feed and energy are central sources in aquaculture. A relatively low-emission electricity system is an advantage, but the climate footprint still varies greatly between species and production systems.

Contacts

John Roald Isaksen

Scientist
+47 77 62 92 19

Bente E. Torstensen

CEO, Managing Director
+47 55 50 12 18