Nordic conference gives wide support to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s declaration on boosting energy transition in fisheries

The Conference on Energy Transition in Capture Fisheries discussed the opportunities offered by new energy sources and electricity and ways to reduce the use of energy. The conference gave wide support to the declaration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on boosting energy transition in the fisheries sector.

The Nordic Conference on Energy Transition in Capture Fisheries on 4–5 November 2025 brought together about 80 experts to Musiikkitalo in Helsinki to discuss energy transition in fisheries. The conference was an interactive one, which means that the presentations were followed by expert panels on each topic and the participants could give their comments online.

Like any other sector, the European Union’s carbon neutrality target by 2050 also concerns fisheries. The numerous presentations given at the conference focused on ways to implement the energy transition and the opportunities related to this in the Nordic countries and elsewhere in Europe.

For the largest fishing vessels, including those using trawls, the possibilities are related to reducing the use of energy and to the fuel solutions to be used in maritime transport in general. These include methanol, ammonia or hydrogen. The use of electricity is mostly limited to port entry and movement in the port area, as well as the electricity needs of the vessel itself.

For small vessels and those operating close to the coast, electrification is in most cases a feasible option. Electricity consumption is much smaller when the distances are short and the gear is anchored to the bottom.