April 12, 2019

Climate Change And Global Fisheries

2 minutes

A Rutgers University-led study published in the journal Science has shown that climate change has taken a toll on many of the world’s fisheries and that over fishing has magnified the problem.

Seafood has become an increasingly important source of nourishment as

the global population grows, especially in coastal, developing countries where

it provides as much as half of the animal protein eaten. More than 50 million people worldwide work in

the fisheries industry or subsist on fisheries.

Scientists at Rutgers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration studied the impact of ocean warming on 235 populations of 124

species in 38 ecological regions around the world. Species included fish, crustaceans such as

shrimp, and mollusks such as scallops.

They combined data on fisheries with ocean temperature maps to estimate

temperature-driven changes in the sustainable catch over 8 decades. The data covered about one-third of the

global catch.

According to the study, ocean warming has led to an estimated 4.1%

drop in sustainable catches, on average around the world, for many species of

fish and shellfish from 1930 to 2010. In

five regions that include the East China Sea and the North Sea, the estimated

decline was 15 to 35%.

The researchers recommend that fisheries managers eliminate over fishing, rebuild fisheries, and account for climate change in fisheries management decisions. Over fishing provides a one-two punch to fisheries facing warming waters. It not only makes fisheries more vulnerable to ocean warming but continued warming will also hinder efforts to rebuild over fished populations.

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Web Links

Climate Change Shrinks Many Fisheries Globally, Rutgers-Led Study Finds

Photo, posted April 23, 2011, courtesy of Derek Keats via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

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