The FISH4ACP project is working with tuna industry partners in the Marshall Islands to increase sustainability of water and energy used in fish processing as part of this nation’s action to meet UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 that centers around sustainable marine resource use.
Energy and water assessments by the FISH4ACP project of four tuna processing companies in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, and a series of recommendations that aim at improving energy and water management to reduce operational costs and increase resource efficiency.
This links directly with next week’s Honiara Summit that is bringing several hundred officials together to focus on “meaningful action and innovation towards achieving SDG14,” which encompasses conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.
The multi-billion dollar commercial fisheries industry in the western and central Pacific region has a huge economic impact on people living in the islands, which through domestic fisheries authorities and regional organizations are focused on sustainable resource management.
“The FISH4ACP energy and water assessment evaluated critical infrastructure challenges across Pan Pacific Foods, Marshall Islands Fishing Venture, Pacific International Inc. and Majuro Stevedore & Terminal Company,” said Dr. Sergio Bolasina, the National Project Coordinator for FISH4ACP in Marshall Islands. All four companies have a significant role in the tuna value chain in Majuro.
Matt Walsh, a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) consultant who conducted this study, said: “Key themes (of the assessment) included addressing inefficiencies in water and energy usage, such as deteriorating public wastewater systems, unreliable power sources, and operational inefficiencies.” He pointed out that these fish processing companies are operating within the constraints typical of Small Island Developing States, including high energy costs, limited access to resources, and challenges posed by climate change.
“These realities are compounded not only by logistical issues related to the remote location but also significantly from increasing ambient temperatures and other environmental characteristics due to climate change, which add pressures to key operational components of refrigeration and water management, Walsh said. Added to this is atoll nations such as the Marshall Islands have extremely limited land on which to expand infrastructure such as water storage facilities, renewable energy systems or fish cold storage facilities.
The assessment findings indicate that most of the companies involved worked to maintain essential operations under challenging conditions, while having opportunities for improvements that could enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Recommended solutions to improve operations included paving one dock, upgrading screw compressors, adopting seawater cooling systems, and installing solar roofs.
“Each recommendation offers significant cost, energy, and carbon savings with favorable return on investment timelines,” said Walsh. “For example, seawater cooling could save $1.3-$1.5 million annually in diesel fuel costs, while solar roofs could reduce carbon emissions by 4,500-6,000 metric tons annually.”
The focus of this assessment was on improving energy and water management to reduce operational costs and increase resource efficiency — efforts that directly support sustainable use of resources in tuna processing.
The Honiara Summit on SDG 14 will be held from February 24-27 in the Solomon Islands. Representatives from the Marshall Islands, including those involved in the FISH4ACP project, will be participating.