Spatially explicit life cycle assessment of fish: comparison of local vs imported provision in Wisconsin

Abstract

The global fish supply chain handles ∼179 million tons of product annually (as in 2018). Transportation and distribution are an important part of fish supply chain, as fish and shellfish are one of the largest globally traded food commodities with a trading value of ∼$153 billion in 2017. Here we show that disregarding the environmental impacts of fish transportation, either land transit or flight, neglects a noteworthy portion of total fish provisioning environmental impacts. We identified that local fish provision, considering (1) all Wisconsin counties as production points, (2) cities of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis as consumption points, and (3) effective, semi-effective, and ineffective space heating approaches, has significantly lower environmental impacts than imported fish provision, considering flight transportation from offshore production points. Meaning the necessity to elevate local fish production capacity to enhance the environmental sustainability of fish provision is essential, despite potential elevated heating demands for cold-weather aquaculture.