Use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps in combination with metal halide (MH) lamps reduce fuel consumption in the Vietnamese purse seine fishery

Abstract

The use of high-power lights during night-time purse seining is common in Vietnam. Typically, metal halide (MH) lamps are used in the commercial fishery to attract fish, however these lights require more energy, have a shorter lifespan, and lower chromatic performance than light emitting diode (LED) lamps. This study examined catch efficiency and fuel consumption when using LED lamps in combination with reduced numbers of MH lamps (10.24 kW), compared to conventional lighting (28.6 kW), used during purse seining off the coast of Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam. The economic performance associated with using LED lamps in this fishery was also assessed. We found no significant differences in catch rates between the different light treatments, however fuel consumption was significantly reduced. Fuel consumption per nightly trip using LED with MH lamps was 70.8 l (11.1 l/h) compared to114 l (17.45 l/hr) using MH lamps alone, an estimated 37.9% reduction in fuel consumption. An investment in LED lamps by a fishing enterprise will require additional initial costs, however our analysis revealed the financial break-event point can be reached after approximately 101 nightly trips when the fuel price is at the 2015 level of USD $0.74 per l. Fishing enterprises can increase their profitability, and reduce CO2 emissions, by using LED lamps in the Vietnamese purse seine fishery.