Ziegler, F.; Eichelsheim, J.L.; Emanuelsson, A.; Flysjö, A.; Ndiaye, V.; Thrane, M.
Life cycle assessment of southern pink shrimp products from Senegal. An environmental comparison
between artisanal fisheries in the Casamance region and a trawl fishery based in Dakar.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No. 1044. Rome, FAO. 2009 29p.
ABSTRACT
Life cycle assessment (LCA) of two Senegalese seafood products exported to Europe has been undertaken
based on the functional unit of one kilogram of product (frozen whole shrimps, independent of size) plus the
accompanying packaging at the point of import to Europe, i.e. transported by boat to Vigo, Spain. The
products are exchangeable on the European market, but the way they reach this market from the fishery over
processing is very different. One product is produced through on-board processing on demersal trawlers
based in Dakar fishing at sea in FAO fishing zone 34 (eastern central Atlantic), then landed and stored before
being exported to Europe. The other product originates in artisanal fisheries in the Casamance River in
southern Senegal. Fishing takes place to similar extents by the two fishing methods: Mujas, a fixed trawl set
in the deepest part of the river from a canoe, and Félé-félé, a type of driftnet managed by three men in a
canoe. The shrimps are landed and transported to a processing plant in Ziguinchor where they are washed,
packed and frozen before land transportation to Dakar, storage and finally shipment to Europe. The three
fisheries included (trawl, Mujas and Félé-félé) were shown to have highly different catch compositions. Each
fishing method has advantages and drawbacks from a biological point of view, i.e. proportion of discard,
landed bycatch and small shrimps in the catch. LCA results showed major differences between the two final
products, with regard to resource use and environmental impact, depending on their origin. For the product
originating in trawling, fishing was the most important activity in all categories of environmental impact. For
the product originating in the artisanal fishery, fishing was the most important activity from a biological
point of view. In contrast, processing and storage dominated the two categories: global warming and ozone
depletion potential. The main areas to improve regarding these categories in the production chain of the
trawled product are the use of fuel and refrigerants on board, while the main areas for improvement in the
chain of the artisanal product are the use of energy and refrigerants in the processing plant and the energy
source used by the plant. Both on board the trawlers and in the mainland processing of artisanal shrimps,
considerable amounts of refrigerants with a high global warming and ozone depletion potential are used to
freeze the shrimp products. In both chains, transportation was found to be of minor importance. Increased
traceability and labelling is also desirable to enable active consumer choices between products. |
