How a Cornish harbour is using clean engine tech to future proof fishing
Adrian Bartlett and Dave Stevens talk about the practical steps fishermen are taking to cut pollution and keep their boats running in a warming world
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In this story we speak with Adrian Bartlett and Dave Stevens at Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall, home to the trawler the Crystal Sea for the past 47 years. Adrian began his fishing career in the mid-1980s, spending over three decades at sea before stepping ashore in 2011. Since then, he’s co-founded The Really Interesting Crab Company to promote the quality of local shellfish, helped launch the Crabstock Festival, and set up a pop-up restaurant to connect people with UK seafood. He also trains new entrants to the industry, sits as vice chair of Fishing into the Future, and consults for Ecomotus — a company developing retrofit hydrogen systems to reduce the environmental impact of diesel engines.
Dave is the current chair of Fishing into the Future and skipper of the family-run Crystal Sea. He talks about the changes he’s seen at sea throughout his career, and how the Ecomotus system has made his boat more efficient — improving fuel economy and reducing pollution without having to overhaul existing equipment.
Together they reflect on how the fishing industry is experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand, and how it’s beginning to adapt — from cleaner engine technology to shifting perceptions about sustainability and the future of UK seafood.
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“I listen to climate deniers and I have a little chuckle, because if they actually worked in the environment like people that I know, they would have seen the changes. I’ve seen it in changing weather patterns more than anything … we do have stormy seasons, and long periods of the same weather. Our weather patterns are not transient like they used to be. What you are getting is longer periods of the same sort of weather.” - Dave Stevens
“I’m going to retire in the next few years, before the 30% [target] … but you do it because you want the younger generation to have a better footstool against climate change. It’s our children and grandchildren [we’re worried about] … I’m coming up to 59, and of course I care, because I want my son and his son to still be connected to the fishing industry but with a different outlook towards the climate” – Adrian Bartlett
“If the to go battery by 2050, that’s fair enough, but whilst we are burning fossil fuels, why don’t we just burn them correctly, and that’s all the system does, so every time [Dave] starts his engine up, he knows it’s cleaner and he is saving money … He’s probably saving a day’s fuel usage [every week] … say in 2050 we’re really in trouble: if the farms are still going and the under 12 fleets are still going, we still have food security. I think you’ve got to look at what’s on your doorstep … Surely we are better taking these small steps now … if the government are giving targets out … they need to support … there is support for solar, there is support for heat pumps, but there is no support for the marine industry … there is a lot of work to, but these targets are not going away, and every day we get closer to these targets.” - Adrian Bartlett
“It’s about food security… the carbon footprint of fish is really low per kilo, but then all of a sudden you’re flying it in and shipping it in bulk, and the carbon footprint goes up. For climate change you would think that you would start eating produce from your waters and from your land.” – Adrian Bartlett
“Fuel is our biggest cost, it makes up 15-20% of our gross, so the lower you can get that percentage the better. If we had stayed in the original Crystal Sea, our fuel would be up about 40%. Ecomotus has been a plus for us because it ticks quite a few boxes: it lowers out emissions, it saves on fuel, and it saves on maintenance.” - Dave Stevens
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Stories From Round Our Way. Everyday conversations with people impacted by climate change.