March 23, 2026 — With the launch of a set of guidance memos last week, the fishing industry established its leadership in a set of novel ocean-based climate interventions that could someday become one of the largest human activities in the ocean: marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR).
mCDR techniques are currently experimental; their effectiveness and environmental safety are yet to be firmly established. But against a backdrop of rising global temperatures and backpedaling on international climate commitments, these potential climate solutions are attracting increased attention. In just the last year, several field trials to test these methods at sea have been completed or planned.
The new guidance memos position the fishing industry at the center of mCDR planning from the very start, hoping to establish the industry’s standing as a must-consult constituency and showing that fishermen have indispensable knowledge for making sure this new field advances responsibly.
“As mCDR research moves from the laboratory into the ocean, it is essential that coastal communities—including fishermen and their representatives—be included in the planning process,” said Fiona Hogan of the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, which led the project. “Too often, stakeholders are not admitted early enough into offshore development processes to have meaningful influence over how projects are structured.”
Based on ideas put forth during a set of virtual roundtables by commercial fishermen and fishing industry association staff across Alaska, the West Coast, and the Northeast, the memos outline critical first steps for involving the fishing community in mCDR technology development, project governance and permitting, and collaboratively designed research. Acknowledging the potential for serious missteps that could harm ocean ecosystems and their dependent communities, the memos offer a hopeful-but-fragile path forward for “fishery sensitive” approaches to mCDR. Key to making this vision possible will be a firm commitment by mCDR funders, project leaders, and relevant policy makers to include fishing industry expertise and priorities from the earliest stages. “Fishermen have unique knowledge about the functioning of complex ocean ecosystems gained through decades or generations on the water,” said Darcy Dugan from the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network, one of three coastal and ocean acidification networks that participated in the memos’ creation. “Bringing fishermen into mCDR research and planning efforts creates real opportunities to be partners in co-designing this new ocean-based climate solution alongside scientists and engineers.”