Commercial fishing operations across the globe are feeling the pinch as skyrocketing diesel costs force vessel operators to dramatically reduce their time on the water this spring.
In Kennebunk, Maine, Captain Chris Welch has been forced to alter his lobster fishing routine due to escalating fuel expenses. Where he once checked and refreshed his traps every four to five days, Welch now extends that cycle to seven to 10 days to save on diesel costs.
“It cuts into your profitability at the end of the day,” Welch explained while refueling his boat, Quality Time, during a rainy afternoon at Kennebunk’s harbor. “We are having to pay much more attention to our bottom line.”
Welch’s situation reflects a global trend affecting fishing communities from Maine’s coastline to South Korea and the Netherlands, where rising fuel expenses linked to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran are forcing fishing vessels to remain at dock longer, according to interviews with multiple fishermen and industry representatives worldwide.
This widespread impact could worsen the Iran conflict’s existing threats to global food security, as blocked Middle Eastern shipments have already caused fertilizer price increases that are influencing farmers’ planting decisions.
Manuel Barange, who heads the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, noted that while fuel price increases haven’t historically affected worldwide fish harvests significantly, extended periods of high costs could intensify industry pressure and alter market conditions.
The fuel price crisis presents additional challenges for consumers and businesses, creating political risks for President Donald Trump’s Republican party as it attempts to maintain narrow Congressional control in November’s midterm elections.
Trump has actively pursued the commercial fishing sector as supporters, signing an executive order last year designed to reduce regulatory burdens and promote technological advancement to boost global competitiveness.
Welch expressed uncertainty about how Maine’s decreased seafood production might influence summer lobster pricing when tourists arrive, since dealers who purchase and transport lobsters to restaurants are also struggling with higher fuel expenses they may not be able to absorb.
“This affects us every day,” he stated.
Current diesel prices have reached $5.65 per gallon this week, jumping from $3.55 twelve months ago and approaching the 2022 record of $5.82, based on AAA’s Fuel Prices tracking system.
Fuel represents a primary cost for fishing operations, with some vessels requiring tens of thousands of gallons to fill their tanks.
Gulf Coast shrimp boat operators can no longer afford to fill their 15,000-gallon fuel tanks and are canceling fishing expeditions, according to Deborah Long, who serves as media liaison for the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
The U.S. shrimp sector was already under pressure from imported competition before fuel costs increased, with industry value dropping 50% from 2021 to 2023, a March National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report showed.
“That jump in price has taken away their entire margin,” Long noted.
Alaskan fishing operations are experiencing similar difficulties.
Fuel expenses can represent up to 40% of a fishing expedition’s total costs, explained Linda Behnken, a Sitka fisherman who also directs the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association.
“It went up over a dollar a gallon from one week to the next and right before everybody was filling up with full tanks to start the season,” Behnken said. “That’s a really big impact on the cost of operation.”
Currently, halibut and sablefish prices remain high enough to justify regular fishing trips, Behnken reported. However, when the less profitable salmon season begins in July, diesel expenses may make leaving port financially unviable.
Fishing crews also confront additional inflation-driven cost increases for supplies like bait and rope, said Sonny Beal, who leads the Maine Lobstermen’s Association.
“A lot of us are spending fewer days on the water,” he observed.
International fishing communities are experiencing comparable impacts. In South Korea’s South Gyeongsang province, fishing expeditions targeting anchovy, gizzard shad, yellowtail and mackerel have decreased by more than 30% since the conflict started, reported Lee Gi-sam, secretary general for the national fishermen’s alliance.
Indonesian fishing boats are largely remaining in port because fish prices aren’t sufficient to generate profits amid rising diesel costs, said Akhiq Falih Al Arif, a boat owner along the north coast of Pati regency in Central Java.
Boats currently at sea will continue fishing, but those returning to port won’t venture out again due to high fuel prices, explained Muhammad Billahmar, secretary general of the Indonesian tuna association.
European fishing fleets have also suffered, with the Dutch Fishers Union reporting that half their vessels remained docked instead of fishing just weeks after the war began.
