Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Edible Protein Energy Return on Investment Ratio (ep-EROI) for Spanish Seafood Products

  • Report
  • Published:
AMBIO Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Life cycle assessment (LCA) has developed into a useful methodology to assess energy consumption of fishing fleets and their derived seafood products, as well as the associated environmental burdens. In this study, however, the life cycle inventory data is used to provide a dimensionless ratio between energy inputs and the energy provided by the fish: the edible protein energy return on investment (ep-EROI). The main objective was to perform a critical comparison of seafood products landed in Galicia (NW Spain) in terms of ep-EROI. The combination of energy return on investment (EROI) with LCA, the latter having standardized mechanisms regarding data acquisition and system boundary delimitation, allowed a reduction of uncertainties in EROI estimations. Results allow a deeper understanding of the energy efficiency in the Galician fishing sector, showing that small pelagic species present the highest ep-EROI values if captured using specific fishing techniques. Finally, results are expected to provide useful guidelines for policy support in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Allison, E.H., A.L. Perry, M.C. Badjeck, W.N. Adger, K. Brown, D. Conway, A.S. Halls, G.M. Pilling, et al. 2009. Vulnerability of national economies to the impacts of climate change. Fish and Fisheries 10: 173–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida, P., and P.D. Silva. 2009. The peak of oil production—Timings and market recognition. Energy Policy 37: 1267–1276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avadí, A., and P. Fréon. 2013. Life cycle assessment of fisheries: A review for fisheries scientists and managers. Fisheries Research 143: 223–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bengtsson, S., E. Fridell, and K. Andersson. 2012. Environmental assessment of two pathways towards the use of biofuels in shipping. Energy Policy 44: 451–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BSI. 2012. Assessment of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. Supplementary requirements for the application of PAS 2050:2011 to seafood and other aquatic food products. British Standards Institution. ISBN 978 0 580 77964 0.

  • Cocharne, K. 2000. Reconciling sustainability, economic efficiency and equity in fisheries: the one that got away? Fish and Fisheries 1: 3–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dandres, T., C. Gaudreault, P. Tirado-Seco, and R. Samson. 2012. Assessing non-marginal variations with consequential LCA: Application to European energy sector. Renewable Sustainability Energy Reviews 15: 3121–3132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, J.W. Jr., C.A. Hall, A. Yáñez-Arancibia, D. Pimentel, C. Ibáñez Martí, and W.J. Mitsch. 2009. Ecology in times of scarcity. Bioscience 59: 321–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Destouni, G., and H. Frank. 2010. Renewable energy. AMBIO 39: 18–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreyer, L.C., M.Z. Hauschild, and J. Schierbeck. 2010. Characterisation of social impacts in LCA. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 15: 247–259.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO. 1985. Energy and protein requirements: Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. World Health Organization; WHO Publications Center USA [distributor], Geneva; Albany, NY.

  • FAO. 2011. Global food losses and food waste. Extent, causes and prevention. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

  • Ford, J.S., N.L. Pelletier, F. Ziegler, A.J. Scholz, P.H. Tyedmers, U. Sonesson, S.A. Kruse, and H. Silverman. 2012. Proposed local ecological impact categories and indicators for life cycle assessment of aquaculture. Journal of Industrial Ecology 16: 254–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredga, K., and K.G. Mäler. 2010. Life cycle analyses and resource assessments. AMBIO 39: 36–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fréon, P., M. Bouchon, C. Mullon, C. García, and M. Ñiquen. 2008. Interdecadal variability of anchoveta abundance and overcapacity of the fishery in Peru. Progress in Oceanography 79: 401–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frischknecht, R., N. Jungbluth, H.J. Althaus, C. Bauer, G. Doka, R. Dones, R. Hischier, S. Hellweg, et al. 2007. Implementation of life cycle impact assessment methods. Final report ecoinvent 2000. Swiss Centre for LCI, Dübendorf, Switzerland. Retrieved January 10, 2013, from http://www.ecoinvent.org.

  • Goedkoop, M., R. Heijungs, M. Huijbregts, A. De Schryver, J. Struijs, and R. van Zelm. 2009. ReCiPe 2008. A life cycle impact assessment method which comprises harmonised category indicators at the midpoint and the endpoint level. Report I: Characterisation.

  • Goedkoop, M., A. De Schryver, M. Oele, S. Durksz, and D. de Roest. 2010. Introduction to LCA with SimaPro 7. The Netherlands: Pré Consultants.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guinée, J.B., M. Gorrée, R. Heijungs, G. Huppes, R. Kleijn, A. de Koning A, et al. 2001. Life cycle assessment—An operational guide to the ISO standards. Centre of Environmental Science, Leiden, The Netherlands.

  • Gupta, A.K., and C.A.S. Hall. 2011. A review of the past and current state of EROI data. Sustainability 3: 1796–1809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, C.A.S. 1972. Migration and metabolism in a temperate stream ecosystem. Ecology 53: 585–604.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, C.A.S. 2011. Introduction to special issue on new studies in EROI (energy return on investment). Sustainability 3: 1773–1777.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, C.A.S., S. Balogh, and D.J.R. Murphy. 2009. What is the minimum EROI that a sustainable society must have? Energies 2: 25–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, R., R. Bezdek, and R. Wending. 2005. Peaking of world oil production: impacts, mitigation and risk management. Study by Science Applications International Corporation. US Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory. Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.hilltoplancers.org/stories/hirsch0502.pdf.

  • Hospido, A., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2003. Simplified life cycle assessment of Galician milk production. International Dairy Journal 13: 783–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iribarren, D., and I. Vázquez-Rowe. 2013. Is labour a suitable input in LCA + DEA studies? Insights on the combined use of economic, environmental and social parameters. Social Sciences 2: 114–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iribarren, D., A. Hospido, M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2010. Carbon footprint of canned mussels from a business-to-consumer approach. A starting point for mussel processors and policy makers. Environmental Science and Policy 13: 509–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • ISO. 2006. ISO 14040. Environmental management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and Framework. International Organization for Standardization.

  • Jørgensen, A., M.Z. Hauschild, M.S. Jørgensen, and A. Wangel. 2009. Relevance and feasibility of social life cycle assessment from a company perspective. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 14: 204–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labuschagne, C., and A.C. Brent. 2006. Social indicators for sustainable project and technology life cycle management in the process industry. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 11: 3–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, J., P. Fréon, J-P. Delegenes, J-P. Steyer, and A. Helias. 2012. A new approach for fisheries impact assessment in LCA. 8th International Conference on LCA in the Agri-Food Sector, 1–4 October.

  • Meng, Q., and R. Bentley. 2008. Global oil peaking: Responding to the case for “abundant supplies of oil”. Energy 33: 1179–1184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, D.J., and C.A.S. Hall. 2010. Year in review—EROI or energy return on (energy) invested. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1185: 102–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nebel, B., B. Zimmer, and G. Wegener. 2006. Life cycle assessment of wood floor coverings—A representative study for the German flooring industry. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 11: 172–182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, R., and P. Tyedmers. 2012. Fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from global tuna fisheries: A preliminary assessment. ISSF Technical Report 2012-03, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, McLean, Virginia, USA.

  • Pauly, D., V. Christensen, J. Dalsgaard, R. Froese, and J.F. Torres Jr. 1998. Fishing down marine food webs. Science 279: 860–863.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pauly, D., J. Alder, E. Bennett, V. Christensen, P. Tyedmers, and R. Watson. 2003. The future of fisheries. Science 302: 1359–1361.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier, N.H. 2008. Environmental performance in the US broiler poultry sector: Life cycle energy use and greenhouse gas, ozone depleting, acidifying and eutrophying emissions. Agricultural Systems 98: 67–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier, N.H., and P. Tyedmers. 2011. An ecological economic critique of the use of market information in life cycle assessment research. Journal of Industrial Ecology 15: 342–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier, N., N.W. Ayer, P.H. Tyedmers, S.A. Kruse, A. Flysjö, G. Robillard, F. Ziegler, A.J. Scholz, et al. 2007. Impact categories for life cycle assessment research of seafood production systems: Reviews and prospectus. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 12: 414–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier, N., E. Audsley, S. Brodt, T. Garnett, P. Henriksson, A. Kendall, K.J. Kramer, D. Murphy, et al. 2011. Energy intensity of agriculture and food systems. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 36: 223–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel, D., and M. Pimentel. 2003. Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 78: 660–663.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel, D., and M. Pimentel. 2006. Global environmental resources versus world population growth. Ecological Economics 59: 195–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel, D., R.E. Shanks, and J.C. Rylander. 2007. Energy use in fish and aquacultural production. In Food, energy and society, ed. D. Pimentel, 101–113. New York: CRC Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pracha, A.S., and T.A. Volk. 2011. An edible energy return on investment (EEROI). Analysis of wheat and rice in Pakistan. Sustainability 3: 2358–2391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos, S., I. Vázquez-Rowe, I. Artetxe, M.T. Moreira, G. Feijoo, and J. Zufía. 2011. Environmental assessment of the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) season in the Basque Country. Increasing the timeline delimitation in fishery LCA studies. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 16: 599–610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rugani, B., D. Panasiuk, and E. Benetto. 2012. An input–output based framework to evaluate human labour in life cycle assessment. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 17: 795–812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, J.H., and B.P. Weidema. 2008. Shift in the marginal supply of vegetable oil. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 13: 235–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svanes, E., M. Vold, and O.J. Hanssen. 2011. Effect of different allocation methods on LCA results of products from wild-caught fish and on the use of such results. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 16: 512–521.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Troell, M., P. Tyedmers, N. Kautsky, and P. Ronnback. 2004. Aquaculture and energy use. In Encyclopedia of energy, vol. 1, ed. C. Cleveland, 97–108. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tyedmers, P. 2000. Salmon and sustainability: The biophysical cost of producing salmon through the commercial salmon fishery and the intensive salmon culture industry. PhD Dissertation. Vancouver: University of British Columbia.

  • Tyedmers, P. 2001. Energy consumed by North Atlantic fisheries. In Fisheries impacts on North Atlantic ecosystems: Catch, effort, and national/regional datasets, vol. 9, ed. D. Zeller, R. Watson, and D. Pauly, 12–34. Fisheries Centre Research Reports.

  • Tyedmers, P. 2004. Fisheries and energy use. In Encyclopedia of energy, ed. C. Cleveland, 683–693. New York: Elsevier.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tyedmers, P., R. Watson, and D. Pauly. 2005. Fueling global fishing fleets. AMBIO 34: 635–638.

    Google Scholar 

  • Udo de Haes, H.A., G. Finnveden, M. Goedkoop, M. Hauschild, E. Hertwich, P. Hofstetter, O. Jolliet, et al. 2002. Life cycle impact assessment: Striving towards best practice. Pensacola: SETAC press.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP. 2011. Global Guidance Principles for Life Cycle Assessment Databases. A basis for greener processes and products. Shonan Guidance Principles. UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative.

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2010a. Life cycle assessment of horse mackerel fisheries in Galicia (NW Spain): Comparative analysis of two major fishing methods. Fisheries Research 106: 517–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., D. Iribarren, M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2010b. Combined application of life cycle assessment and data envelopment analysis as a methodological approach for the assessment of fisheries. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 15: 272–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2011a. Life cycle assessment of fresh Hake fillets captured by the Galician fleet in the Northern Stock. Fisheries Research 110: 128–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., D. Iribarren, A. Hospido, M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2011b. Computation of operational and environmental benchmarks within selected Galician fishing fleets. Journal of Industrial Ecology 15: 776–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2011c. Estimating global discards and their potential reduction for the Galician fishing fleet (NW Spain). Marine Policy 35: 140–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., A. Hospido, M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2012a. Review: Best practices in life cycle assessment implementation in fisheries. Improving and broadening environmental assessment for seafood production systems. Trends in Food Science and Technology 28: 131–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2012b. Inclusion of discard assessment indicators in fisheries LCA studies. Expanding the use of fishery-specific impact categories. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 17: 535–549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2012c. Environmental assessment of frozen common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) captured by Spanish fishing vessels in the Mauritanian EEZ. Marine Policy 36: 180–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vázquez-Rowe, I., P. Villanueva-Rey, J. Mallo, J.J. De la Cerda, M.T. Moreira, and G. Feijoo. 2013. Carbon footprint of a multi-ingredient seafood product from a business-to-business perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production 44: 200–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VDI-Richtlinien. 1997. Cumulative energy demand: Terms, definitions, methods of calculation. Düsseldorf: VDI-Richtlinien.

  • Villasante, S., and R. Sumaila. 2010. Estimating the effects of technological efficiency on the European fishing fleet. Marine Policy 34: 720–722.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xenotechs. 2012. Guía de las principales especies pesqueras de interés comercial en España. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://xenotechs.com/pdfs/CATALOGO%20DE%20ESPECIES%20PESQUERAS.pdf.

  • Ziegler, F., A. Emanuelsson, J.L. Eichelsheim, A. Flysjö, V. Ndiaye, and M. Thrane. 2011. Extended life cycle assessment of Southern pink shrimp products originating in Senegalese artisanal and industrial fisheries for export to Europe. Journal of Industrial Ecology 15: 527–538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This article was developed thanks to funding from the Galician Government (Project reference: GRC 2010/37). The authors would also like to thank Peter Tyedmers and the School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES) at Dalhousie University (NS, Canada) for disclosing valuable information for the completion of this manuscript, as well as the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain

    Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Pedro Villanueva-Rey, Mª Teresa Moreira & Gumersindo Feijoo

  2. Public Research Centre Henri Tudor (CRPHT)/Resource Centre for Environmental Technologies (CRTE), 6A, Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, 4362, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

    Ian Vázquez-Rowe

Authors
  1. Ian Vázquez-Rowe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pedro Villanueva-Rey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mª Teresa Moreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gumersindo Feijoo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian Vázquez-Rowe.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 105 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vázquez-Rowe, I., Villanueva-Rey, P., Moreira, M.T. et al. Edible Protein Energy Return on Investment Ratio (ep-EROI) for Spanish Seafood Products. AMBIO 43, 381–394 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0426-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-013-0426-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation