Here, Boats Are Going Green, Too

A commercial fishing community in Alaska is transitioning toward electric fishing vessels powered by low- and zero-emissions propulsion systems.

“Everybody who fishes up here cares deeply about the ocean and about their legacy to the next generation of fishermen and of people who live in these coastal communities […], and this is a way to honor our deep commitment to the ocean and become better at what we do,” says Linda Behnken, Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association’s executive director. “Our goal is to inspire decarbonization across more fleets.”

So far, they have successfully transitioned one commercial fishing boat from their fleet into a parallel hybrid battery-diesel system. The boat runs on diesel when traveling at full speed but switches to electric when sitting idle or moving slowly for fishing. This allows the boat’s fuel use to be cut by 80 percent. The community is working on slowly but surely advancing the energy efficiency of its entire fleet and hopes that its progress will be seen and replicated by others. “We hope to set an example by walking the walk and showing how it can be done,” concludes Behnken.