Comparing Life Cycle Assessment of Fish Preservation Method on Fishing Vessels in Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract The economic benefit that the fishermen can obtain primarily depends on the quality of their catches. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the caught fish stays fresh until entering the market. The most common fish preservation on traditional fishing boats in Indonesia is block ice, which must be carried in the fish hold from the home port. In comparison, another alternative method for fish preservation is the Flake Ice machine that can produce ice on-board. The study on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted on these two fish preservation methods to understand the environmental impact of each technique. For undertaking the assessments, LCA software known as SimaPro was employed. The system boundary for the LCA about fish preservation applied the “well to wheels” approach and covered the whole service life of the vessel for the full consecutive 20 years of operation. The functional unit for the assessment was fish preservation of 4 tonnes during a 7-day fishing trip. The input of the evaluation was the materials and energy required to produce the amount of ice or to operate a refrigeration system for each year of the vessel’s operation, with a total of 30 trips per year. The paper explored the environmental impact of these two fish preservation methods in terms of Ozone Layer Depletion and Global Warming.