Alaska Boating Fuel Efficiency Resources
Coping with high fuel costs
Increased fuel prices are hurting commercial fishermen, charterboat and water taxi operators, sport fishermen, and recreational boaters. Saving money on boat fuel can be as easy as simply slowing down or as complicated as replacing a boat engine, and results vary greatly depending on the vessel. This site offers tips for conserving fuel, results of a commercial fishing fuel survey, links to news stories about reducing fuel costs, a downloadable poster and brochure on fuel efficiency, and more.
Fishing vessel energy audit project
Terry Johnson, MAP Marine Recreation and Tourism Specialist, is part of a team working on a three-year project to develop and test ways to improve fishing vessel fuel and energy efficiency.
- Related news story: MAP part of Fishing Vessel Energy Audit Pilot Project
The future of diesel
Does Diesel Have a Future in the Fishing Industry? offers information on energy innovations and the future of diesel-powered fishing vessels. The author is an expert in northern fisheries gear, marketing, and NGOs.
Tips for conserving fuel
- Presentation: Short Profitable Harvest [pdf; 1.8mb]
- Presentation: Operating Techniques to Maximize Fuel Efficiency [pdf: 1.7mb]
- Publication: Saving Fuel on Your Recreational or Charter Boat
- Publication: Fuel Saving Measures on Your Fishing Industry Vessel
- Web page: Lower Your Fuel Costs: Fuel efficiency tips
- Brochure: Save Money on Boat Fuel [PDF; 349 KB]
- Poster: Tips to Reduce Fuel Costs for Your Boat [PDF; 162 KB]
- Article: Fishermen's First Step: Using Less Fuel [PDF; 143 KB]
From Changing Climate—Changing Alaska's Fisheries? Alaska Seas & Coasts, Vol. 5, March 2008
Energy audits
- PowerPoint (as PDF): Energy Audits: Guidance for Small Alaska Fishing Vessels (an introduction to energy audits) [PDF; 708 KB]
- Worksheet: Fuel Efficiency Audit Worksheet [PDF; 160 KB]
- Supplement: Definitions, conversions and equations for energy audits [PDF; 240 KB]
Commercial Fishing Loan Fund
The Alaska Division of Investments' Commercial Fishing Loan Fund is offering low-interest loans to Alaska commercial fishermen interested in replacing or rebuilding their vessel engines, gear purchases, and vessel upgrades. Learn more and apply online at: http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/investments/vgu.cfml
2008 Commercial Fishing Fuel Survey
Commercial Fishing Fuel Survey Results—Executive Summary
Fall 2008 Alaska Commercial Fishermen and Tender Fuel Survey (preliminary full report) [PDF; 564 KB]
Links to other sources of information
Annotated links provided by commercial fishermen who took the fuel efficiency survey.
News stories
News releases and radio stories about Alaska fuel costs and conservation measures.
For more information
- Terry Johnson, MAP agent
- Greg Fisk, fishing consultant, 907-586-4090, prawns@alaska.net.
