Accounting for overfishing in life cycle assessment: new impact categories for biotic resource use

Sammanfattning

Overfishing is a relevant issue to include in all life cycle assessments (LCAs) involving wild caught fish, as overfishing of fish stocks clearly targets the LCA safeguard objects of natural resources and natural ecosystems. Yet no robust method for assessing overfishing has been available. We propose lost potential yield (LPY) as a midpoint impact category to quantify overfishing, comparing the outcome of current with target fisheries management. This category primarily reflects the impact on biotic resource availability, but also serves as a proxy for ecosystem impacts within each stock.LPY represents average lost catches owing to ongoing overfishing, assessed by simplified biomass projections covering different fishing mortality scenarios. It is based on the maximum sustainable yield concept and complemented by two alternative methods, overfishing though fishing mortality (OF) and overfishedness of biomass (OB), that are less data-demanding.Characterization factors are provided for 31 European commercial fish stocks in 2010, representing 74 % of European and 7 % of global landings. However, large spatial and temporal variations were observed, requiring novel approaches for the LCA practitioner. The methodology is considered compliant with the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) standard in most relevant aspects, although harmonization through normalization and endpoint characterization is only briefly discussed.Seafood LCAs including any of the three approaches can be a powerful communicative tool for the food industry, seafood certification programmes, and for fisheries management.

Nyckelord

Life cycle impact assessment; Lost potential yield; Maximum sustainable yield; Overfishing; Seafood life cycle assessment

Publicerad i

International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment
2014, volym: 19, nummer: 5, sidor: 1156-1168
Utgivare: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

SLU författare

• Sköld, Mattias

  • Institutionen för akvatiska resurser (SLU Aqua), Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG2 Ingen hunger
SDG14 Hav och marina resurser
SDG15 Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

UKÄ forskningsämne

Fisk- och akvakulturforskning
Miljövetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0684-z

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/67548