Energy consumption of small scale fishing vessel operations in Indonesia: A case study in Palabuhanratu, Indonesia

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About 79% of the global fishing fleet is small motorized boats typically operating in coastal areas, supplying local markets, and contributing to human well-being through food supplies and economic development. For example, Indonesian fisheries which predominantly are artisanal fishing, have supported 54% of animal protein intake, accounted for 2% of employment level and increased the fishermen’s prosperity index by 2.44%. However, they cause significant environmental impacts including fish resource depletion and intensive energy use. Balancing the benefits and challenges, sustainably managing these fishing operations is an important yet complex task given the requirements to proportionally account for fish resources, fishing technology and fishery organisation. This paper focusses on, the rarely considered, energy intensity of these operations which is particularly important given its correlation with operational cost, productivity and environmental impact. The research was conducted in Palabuhanratu, Indonesia, which has an artisanal fishing fleet numbering in the hundreds, typical of many developing nations. A comparative study was conducted on the four principal types of vessel in Palabuhanratu: pelagic Danish seiners, hand liners, trammel netters and lift net ferries. Statistics published by the fishing port were used to conclude that of these the trammel netters are the most energy intensive and that, in general, the artisanal fisheries are less energy efficient compared to those in developed countries. However, these fisheries socio economic contribution justifies efforts to improve the sustainability of these activities