Importance of Sustainable Fishing
The fishing industry, like many others, is abuzz with talk of sustainability and eco-friendly practices these days. Because fishing is such a diverse industry, with a complex supply chain, there are many ways to approach sustainable fishing and think about sustainability goals. Some fishing vessels are eliminating practices that result in the capture of extraneous aquatic life or unnecessary damage to the marine ecosystem, such as bottom trawling. Instead, they are favoring more efficient, sustainable fishing practices, such as longlining or purse seining. Some governing bodies are imposing restrictions on the fishing of certain species, such as bluefin tuna, to minimize overfishing and any subsequent disruption to the balance of marine ecosystems.
Spearfishing is generally considered to be one of the more sustainable fishing methods. Spearfishing targets just one animal at a time, meaning no excess fish are killed, so there’s virtually no waste associated with the practice, especially since spearfishing has an extremely high catch retrieval rate. Plus, no damage is done to the surrounding ecosystem. Additionally, spearfishing gear requires no fuel to operate and produces no carbon emissions while in use.
However, those interested in increasing the sustainability of their spearfishing practice can explore additional steps, especially related to their spearfishing equipment.
KEP’s Sustainability Efforts
Kent Elastomer Products is an American manufacturer of top-quality spearfishing tubing. We have proudly undertaken a number of key sustainability initiatives at our manufacturing facilities in an effort to support sustainable fishing and our customers’ desire to achieve great sustainability themselves. Here are a few examples of the steps we have taken:
Reduced Water & Energy Usage
We’ve reduced our water usage by improving our internal recycling of cooling water. To cut down on energy consumption, we’ve implemented carefully controlled temperature zones and installed LED lights throughout our facilities. As a result, every product we manufacture has a smaller carbon footprint.
Lower Product Waste
KEP has decreased our output of production scrap by optimizing many of our processes and tightening our requirements for incoming material testing. We’ve also invested in post-industrial recycling for scrap materials. These steps have resulted in a 77% decrease in dumpster pickups.
Ocean-Friendly Compound Choices
The natural rubber latex we use for making spearfishing tubing undergo a leaching step during production to remove chemical species which are not bound to the material. The result is spearfishing equipment that doesn’t leach foreign materials into the ocean when in use. For spearfishing equipment manufacturers and enthusiasts interested in more sustainable spearfishing gear, KEP speargun tubing is a fantastic choice.
Make Your Fishing More Sustainable With KEP
KEP is proud to manufacture durable, high-quality spearfishing tubing and other sports and leisure equipment, right on American soil. Every single one of our team members undergoes in-depth training in lean manufacturing and continuous improvement, so we’re always looking for ways to do better and tweak our processes to move the needle toward improved efficiency and sustainability.
From our manufacturing practices and material choices to our facilities themselves, KEP is always striving to explore new environmental initiatives and improve the sustainability practices of our business. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded us Silver and Gold Level E3 Awards for our initiatives around energy conservation. The awards are part of the Ohio EPA’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) Program, which recognizes businesses’ exceptional achievements in environmental stewardship.
To learn more about spearfishing tubing and sustainable practices from KEP, talk to a member of our team >