The French government will invest more than EUR 7 million (USD 10.1 million) in a range of projects aimed at reducing the fishing fleet’s fuel consumption.
As part of a bigger sustainable fishing plan announced last year, the government said this month that it had selected 18 projects relating to energy consumption. France’s fishing fleet will instigate ways to use energy more efficiently.
“Fishing trawlers — key consumers of energy — are the principal parties concerned by results of these projects,” said France’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries in a statement.
While oil prices have plunged from highs of USD 140 (EUR 97.1) a barrel in July 2008, companies across all industries are still reexamining how they operate.
“These projects will provide industry with a set of solutions to improve their profits in the face of fluctuations in price for petrol,” said the ministry.
Included in the projects, also partly funded by European funds for the fishing industry (FEP), are: design modifications to boats to lighten diesel consumption; the development of equipment designed to optimize energy performance; and research for alternative fuel sources such as pure vegetable oil and hydrogen.
“Research companies and organizations, associations involved in the development of maritime activities, professional co-operatives and small and medium-sized companies are leading the projects,” said the ministry.
