Environmental Analysis of Codfish Production and Consumption in Portugal

Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic waters far from the Portuguese coast. Thus, regional tensions and the environmental impacts of Portuguese codfish importation and production are significant current issues. The present study uses a life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate the array of environmental impacts of the production of 1 kg of codfish, following a cradle to gate approach. The life cycle inventory was grouped into catch and preprocessing, transit, and curing stages. The data collection of products and processes in each stage was based on scientific peer reviewed documents, technical reports, and the Ecoinvent database. The ReCiPe 2016 method, both midpoint and endpoint, was applied to determine the impacts of codfish production using SimaPro software. Results show that the curing stage of production is responsible for most environmental impacts (90-99%), followed by the capturing stage (25-45%). Thus, improving factory efficiency and adjusting fishing techniques are key factors to increase the sustainability of the codfish life cycle.