Fonger Nammensma has been around the fishing game for longer than he cares to remember, and says rising diesel costs have put the pressure on the industry to change the way they operate.

Today, the average trawler is spending about 30 per cent of earnings on fuel despite a rebate of around 38 cents per litre.

Mr Nammensma doesn’t go to sea much any more, leaving the fishing to son Troy, but he has been in the industry for “a long time” and can be found on the wharf almost every day with the family dog Zali.

About 18 months ago the fishing family installed new technology on the Shira to get more power from diesel, installing a Yanmar engine, a Japanese propeller and a new generator.

Now they save about 20 litres an hour.

The Shira has gone from using about 55 litres of diesel an hour down to about 35 litres an hour.

“We’ve still got a bloody big fuel bill,” Mr Nammensma said.

“But it has saved us.”

Just with the propeller alone, the Shira saves seven litres per hour.

Fritz Drenkhahn, President of South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA), said fuel is a huge issue, and ideas and input from fishermen were needed.

“Back in the mid 1980s we had a similar scenario where fuel was about 30 percent of costs, but we didn’t have any quota, so you could fish your way out of it.

“In the mid 90s successful operators had six to seven percent of earnings going back to fuel,” he said.

“A skipper on a trawler now has a series of duties to perform.

“He has to catch the right fish at the right time in the right quantities so as not to go backwards.”

Fishermen have long been upgrading to conserve fuel.

Industry organisations like Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) are petitioning the government to reintroduce subsidies for new boats which have a lower carbon footprint.

The industry also wants to sit down with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke to talk about long and short term strategies to reduce the impact of fuel on fishing boats.