Loss of natural diversity together with climate change is leading to major upheavals in the marine ecosystems, with serious implications for the fishing industry. It remains uncertain what consequences this may have for business and society, according to researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research.
They conclude that climate change will cause changes in marine ecosystems’ productivity, species diversity, structure, dynamics and robustness.
‘It is uncertain what consequences this will have for ecosystem services to society and the various industries linked to these services.
At the same time, business activity contributes to the overall impact on our coastal and marine resources, particularly on the shelf and towards the coast and fjords where the activity is greatest,’ the researchers state in a response to the Natural Risk Committee appointed by the Norwegian government in 2022 and which is expected to deliver its report by the end of this year.
‘The fishing industry will be directly affected by the loss of natural diversity, if weakened ecosystems result in fewer fish in the sea, while other sectors, for example the aquaculture, may experience indirect consequences,’ said head of research Frode Vikebø.
The UN’s international nature panel indicates to five main reasons for the loss of natural diversity: overharvest, land use, pollution, climate change and invasive species.
‘In our consultation response, we link these reasons to the overall themes we work on at the Institute of Marine Research,’ Frode Vikebø explaned. ‘There are marine ecosystems, fisheries, aquaculture, and safe and healthy seafood.’
Image: Paolo Cipriani / Institute of Marine Research
