Impact of climate change on tropical fisheries would create ripples
across the world

Date:
August 6, 2020
Source:
University of British Columbia
Summary:
Seafood is the most highly traded food commodity globally, with
tropical zone marine fisheries contributing more than 50% of the
global fish catch, an average of $USD 96 billion annually. Available
scientific evidence consistently shows that tropical marine
habitats, fish stocks and fisheries are most vulnerable to oceanic
changes associated with climate change. However, telecoupling,
or linkages between distant human- natural systems, could generate
cascades of climate change impacts from the tropics that propagate
to other 'extra-' tropical natural systems and human communities
globally.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Tropical oceans and fisheries are threatened by climate change,
generating impacts that will affect the sustainable development of
both local economies and communities, and regions outside the tropics
through 'telecoupling' of human-natural systems, such as seafood trade and distant-water fishing, says a scientific review from UBC and international researchers.


========================================================================== Seafood is the most highly traded food commodity globally, with tropical
zone marine fisheries contributing more than 50 per cent of the global
fish catch, an average of $USD 96 billion annually. Available scientific evidence consistently shows that tropical marine habitats, fish stocks and fisheries are most vulnerable to oceanic changes associated with climate change. However, the scientific review highlights that telecoupling, or linkages between distant human-natural systems, could generate cascades of climate change impacts from the tropics that propagate to other 'extra-' tropical natural systems and human communities globally.

"Telecoupling interactions between two or more linked areas over distance between tropical fisheries and elsewhere include distant-water fishing,
the international seafood supply chain, transboundary fisheries resources
and their governance would allow benefits derived from tropical fisheries
to transfer to the people in the extratropical regions," said Vicky Lam,
lead author and research associate in the UBC's Institute for the Oceans
and Fisheries.

"Although these linkages could enable the flow of benefits, including
food, livelihoods and government revenue, from tropical fisheries to extratropical locations, their dependence on tropical fisheries also
exposes them to the negative consequences of climate change in tropical regions. The effects of climate change on tropical fisheries also affect
the profitability and employment opportunities of fish-processing
industries in extratropical regions." "Pacific Island countries and territories, for example, are expected to see a redistribution of
skipjack and yellowfin tuna -- their two most exported fish species --
that could see decreased catches of between 10 and 40 per cent by 2050
in many countries such as Palau and the Solomon Islands, while catches
are expected to increase by 15 to 20 per cent in Kiribati and the Cook
Islands.

This will have a tremendous effect on the economies of these small island developing states," said Rashid Sumaila, co-author and professor at
UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy
and Global Affairs. "There are similar projections in African nations,
where climate- related changes are expected to decrease the value of
landed catch by approximately 20 per cent by 2050, as well as reduce fisheries-related jobs by 50 per cent." To reduce the effect of climate
change on the benefits derived from tropical fisheries, both locally and
in extra-tropical regions, the root causes of climate-driven problems
in tropical fisheries need to be recognized and rectified. Effective and practical adaptation and mitigation solutions with stakeholder commitment
and involvement, as well as supporting policies, are therefore necessary
in the tropics.

"We already see that there are close linkages between the tropical regions
and the extra-tropical nations through trade and distant-water fishing"
said William Cheung, co-author and professor at UBC's Institute for the
Oceans and Fisheries. "Solving climate change impacts in the tropics
will benefit the whole world; this provides an additional argument for non-tropical countries to support climate mitigation and adaptation in
tropical countries."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_British_Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Vicky W. Y. Lam, Edward H. Allison, Johann D. Bell, Jessica Blythe,
William W. L. Cheung, Thomas L. Fro"licher, Maria A. Gasalla,
U. Rashid Sumaila. Climate change, tropical fisheries and prospects
for sustainable development. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment,
2020; DOI: 10.1038/ s43017-020-0071-9 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200806101751.htm

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