A new twist has appeared on the scene of lobster and other seafood marketing: the “carbon stamp,”
which quantifies greenhouse gas emissions that were released during production and transportation of a product. This carbon cost label, which would be similar to the present food nutrition label, may be visible on products in the not-too-distant future. The purpose of the label is to allow customers who are concerned about the impact of high carbon emissions on global warming to do their part by purchasing food and other goods with the lowest “carbon stamp.”
John Driscoll, a graduate student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is among those who believe the “carbon stamp” is not just another short-lived gimmick, and that people in the fishing industry should take notice and figure out ways they can reduce the carbon emissions of their product. Using biodiesel (see accompanying story) for boats and trucks would be one.
Driscoll believes people need to take the stamp seriously because the prime mover behind it is a giant United Kingdom retailer, Tesco, which has pledged to place a carbon stamp on every item it carries. He thinks the company’s pledge is a sign of changes in the global market. “As climate change begins to impact people across the world, and the public becomes better educated about it, there will be increasing pressure on industries,” he says. “They will feel the weight of new economic and regulatory burdens like carbon taxes and caps.”
Driscoll has begun a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Maine’s lobster industry, which will measure the carbon impact of all aspects of the lobster’s trip to the plate, including gear and vessel construction, fishing operations and post-harvest storage and transportation to the consumer. He is working with Professor Peter Tyedmers and another graduate student, Catherine Boyd, who a year ago initiated an LCA for the Nova Scotia lobster fishery. Ultimately, Driscoll says, they will compare results for the two industries and will pinpoint “hot spots” where carbon emissions are particularly high and need to be addressed.
— Muriel Hendrix