ROCKETING ENERGY PRICES, exacerbated by the illegal war in Ukraine, have hit people and businesses across the UK, especially those that are highly dependent on energy, such as the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
In 2022, the hike in marine-diesel prices more than doubled compared to 2021, causing surging operational costs for our fishing fleet and rising seafood prices for consumers.
In Scotland, the parts of the fleet that rely heavily on fuel, like the scallop dredgers and whitefish and prawn trawlers, have been hardest hit, leaving many fishers facing economic ruin. The impact on fisheries and aquaculture has been severe, threatening the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the sector. Given the current uncertain geopolitical context, energy prices are expected to remain both high and volatile, forcing fishers to search for ways to reduce fossil fuel dependency and move to new, environmentally sustainable, low carbon energy sources as quickly as possible.