Fuel reduction in coastal squid jigging boats equipped with various combinations of conventional metal halide lamps and low-energy LED panels

Application of the low-energy light emitting diode (LED) is considered as a possible measure for fuel saving in the squid jigging fishery. We monitored fuel consumption of 14 coastal squid jigging boats ranging in size from 6.6 to 19 gross tons (GT) operating in the northern and western waters of the Sea of Japan in 2009–2011. In summer in the northern waters, squid boats of 19 GT consumed approximately 900 l in one operation that lasted from the afternoon to the next morning and 54% of the fuel was used during jigging with 53 conventional metal halide lamps (MHs) of 159 kW in total. In winter in the western waters, the total amount of fuel consumed in conventional operations of the 6.6–16 GT boats was less, but fuel consumption during jigging with lamps accounted for 70–78% of the total consumption due to close fishing grounds. The relationship between fuel consumption (l) and energy (kW h) during jigging with lamps was expressed as a linear regression containing effects of the boat size and the inherent character of each boat. Fuel consumption rate decreases on average 0.28 l/kW h by using LEDs with a reduced number of MHs. When 9 kW LEDs were employed with 24 MHs for 19 GT boat in the western water in summer, 24% fuel saving was estimated.