IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FISHERIES

John Pinnegar
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield, Lowestoft

Executive Summary

Distributions of both exploited and non-exploited North Sea fishes have responded markedly to recent increases in temperature, with nearly two-thirds of species shifting in mean latitude over the past 25 years. Seabass, red mullet, triggerfish, tuna, sting-rays, and seahorses are all becoming more commonplace, whereas cold-water species such as cod have declined markedly, with a strong negative relationship between the number of juveniles produced (termed ‘recruitment’) and observed sea temperatures, although intensive fishing also plays a key role.

Poor ‘recruitment’ success in cod may reflect a lack of available planktonic food items for larval fish, however knowledge of underlying mechanisms is rather limited. Climate change will also impact the transport of larval stages from spawning grounds to nursery areas. Model outputs suggest that cod stocks will continue to decline, and further temperature rises are likely to have a profound impact on commercial fisheries through continued shifts in distribution and alterations in community interactions.

Level of Confidence

Medium

There is quite a lot of information about, but understanding is still somewhat limited. However, there is certainly more information and understanding than is the case for mammals, birds or invasive species.

Key Sources of Information

See supporting evidence

Please acknowledge this document as: Pinnegar, J. (2006). Impacts of Climate Change on Fisheries in Marine Climate Change Impacts Annual Report Card 2006 (Eds. Buckley, P.J, Dye, S.R. and Baxter, J.M), Online Summary Reports, MCCIP, Lowestoft, www.mccip.org.uk