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By  Benjamin Alexander-Bloch
28 May 2014 (The Times-Picayune) – The global seafood industry is under threat from climate change and ocean acidification, and reducing CO2 emissions is required to safeguard the industy’s future, according to a report jointly published Wednesday by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Cambridge’s Judge Business School. The statement, based on findings from the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, discusses how the ocean’s chemistry is changing at an unprecedented rate and how ocean acidification — the result of carbon dioxide uptake from the air — is putting many commercial fish and shellfish species at risk. It states that the “projected rise in acidity by 2100 would be at least twice today’s levels.” And that acidification “is projected to drive a decline in global shellfish production between 2020 and 2060.” The report also highlights how oxygen-depleted “dead zone” areas, already occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, a­re increasing. The condition, which can inhibit growth in coastal ecosystems, is caused by high levels of nutrient runoff from land (in the Gulf, those nutrients are carried down by the Mississippi River) and then is “exacerbated by higher water temperatures and ocean acidification.” It states that, based on a projected global warming scenario of 2 degrees (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) due to climate change, the total loss of landings to the global fisheries by 2050 would range from $17 billion to $41 billion. It states that some species likely would migrate as temperatures change, and that change in distribution could lead to significant increases in illegal fishing and conflicts between fishing nations. The report adds that 400 million people, who depend critically on fish for their food, would face reduced access to marine protein. [more]

Seafood industry under threat from climate change and ocean acidification, report states

Contact: Sustainable Fisheries Partnership: Blake Lee-Harwood, +44 7872621071 (UK), blake.lee-harwood@sustainablefish.org University of Cambridge: Nicolette Bartlett, +44 1223 768840, Nicolette.bartlett@cisl.cam.ac.uk Global reduction of CO2 emissions required to safeguard future A new briefing issued today distils the key findings from the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report and reveals the growing threat of climate change and acidification to marine resources. The briefing, published jointly by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Judge Business School and supported by the European Climate Foundation, reveals that:

  • The total loss of landings to global fisheries by 2050 due to climate change range from USD 17 to 41 billion based on a global warming scenario of 2 degrees.
  • Fishery yields will increase 30 – 70% in high latitudes but fall by 40 – 60% in the Tropics and Antarctica based on 2 degrees of warming. Large species like tuna in the Pacific and Indian oceans are likely to move eastwards.
  • 400 hundred million people depend critically on fish for their food and face reduced access to marine protein because of climate change and acidification. Artisanal fishermen in the Tropics are most at risk.
  • Changes in the distribution of particular marine species may lead to conflict between fishing nations and significant increases in illegal fishing.
  • The impacts of climate change and ocean acidification are generally exacerbated by other factors like pollution, habitat loss and over-fishing

The briefing, and an associated infographic, is being distributed across the seafood industry with a call for action to address this global threat. Commenting on the report, Chris Brown, Senior Director, Sustainable Business, Asda Walmart said: “There is a growing threat of climate change and acidification to the marine resources upon which we rely. This report is a timely reminder of the pace of change in the oceans and the need for those of us with direct and indirect stakes in the seafood industry to promote action at every level.” Blake Lee-Harwood of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership added: “This report is a wake up call for the seafood industry to recognise the scale of the threat to ocean resources from climate change and acidification. We need to see urgent action in trying to mitigate the likely impacts while adapting wherever that’s practically possible.” Eliot Whittington of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership said: “This briefing highlights the business-critical implications of climate change for the fisheries sector, representing tens of billions of dollars in future costs and damages for the industry. Companies in this sector will have to take the implications of climate science into account as they plan for the future. We hope that this briefing, developed with experts from both business and science, will help them do so.” The briefing cites areas where action can be taken to lessen the impact of climate change:

  • Adapt where possible – for instance, some shellfish hatcheries in the north west USA have learned to avoid taking in seawater during periods of high acidity
  • Undertake vulnerability assessments of fisheries and aquaculture operations
  • Strengthen coastal zone management to reduce land-sourced pollution, over-harvesting and physical damage to resources
  • Create new habitats such as artificial reefs to act as fish nurseries in areas where coral reef destruction occurs

The report is available at www.sustainablefish.org and www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/ipcc and is accompanied by an infographic which summarizes the situation.

Seafood industry under threat from climate change and ocean acidification