The status of climate change adaptation in fisheries management: Policy, legislation and implementation

Abstract

Climate change is considered a major threat to ocean ecosystems and human well-being (Blanchard et al., 2017; IPBES, 2019;Lotze et al., 2019). Changes in temperature, oxygen and other biogeochemical properties alter species distribution, growth, reproduction, abundance and trophic ecosystem structure (Cheung, Sarmiento, et al., 2013; IPCC, 2019). For example, many commercially important fishes and invertebrates are shifting their distribution towards polar, offshore or deeper waters to remain in their preferred thermal range . In addition, intensifying of marine heatwaves are affecting ecosystem structure and functioning (IPCC, 2019). Furthermore, due to the ongoing uptake of atmospheric CO 2 , the ocean is progressively acidifying (IPCC, 2019) which can be amplified by coastal upwelling (Feely et al., 2008), affecting cellular metabolism, organism physiology and ecosystem-level dynamics (Gattuso & Hansson, 2011).

Operationalizing climate risk in a global warming hotspot

“…Adaptation resources could also include instituting flexible spatial protections where the stock is particularly at risk (4), targeted ecosystem monitoring for changes in climate vulnerability, and addressing factors affecting the sensitivity and adaptivity of smooth skate ( e.g. reducing directed and ecosystem overfishing, bycatch, habitat destruction, pollution); (10). Since high natural mortality in the GSL, primarily by seals, is also thought to be impairing species recovery (46), understanding the influence of bycatch on their mortality and reducing any fisheries induced through bycatch reduction ( e.g.…”

Climate change scenarios in fisheries and aquatic conservation research

“…RCP8.5 plays a role in U.S. fisheries and endangered species policy, as the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) benchmark scenario for determining threats to species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (NMFS, 2016). However, the incorporation of climate change in fisheries management more broadly is still relatively limited in most countries (see Bryndum-Buchholz et al (2021) for review), and thus RCP8.5 does not have a major direct role in fisheries management globally.…”

Long-term ocean and resource dynamics in a hotspot of climate change

“…To counteract projected climate change impacts, a conservation and management process that takes a climate-adaptive, ecosystem-based, and precautionary approach is essential (Bryndum-Buchholz et al 2021). This approach needs to account for shifting historical and future baselines, adjust exploitation rates and management goals, and develop climate-informed reference points that ensure populations and biodiversity remain at viable levels (Busch et al 2016;Galbraith et al 2017;DFO 2019a).…”

“…This requires continued monitoring of changes in species productivity, abundance, and distribution. In the dynamic climate-change era, corresponding flexible and adaptive management tools are needed to respond to rapidly changing conditions (Dunn et al 2016;McClenachan et al 2019a;Bryndum-Buchholz et al 2021). Currently, few Canadian fish stocks are assessed and managed considering climate change (DFO 2019b; Pepin et al 2020).…”

“…In an ecosystem context, conservation and management strategies need to account for warminginduced shifts in productivity, species composition and food-web functioning, which requires comprehensive multi-species and ecosystem monitoring to inform ecosystem assessments and modeling projections (Mills et al 2013;Bryndum-Buchholz et al 2021). Fishers may need to diversify their catches to adapt to rapidly shifting resource composition and abundance, requiring more flexibility in licensing and quota allocation (Mills et al 2013;Pinsky and Fogarty 2012;Pershing et al 2021).…”