According to scientists the world’s fish stocks are under constant threat as changing ocean temperatures and currents will force thousands of species to migrate polewards, including cod, herring, plaice and prawns. It is warned that by 2050, US fishermen may see a 50 percent reduction in Atlantic cod populations. The predictions were published in the journal Fish and Fisheries which were presented at the AAAS annual meeting in Chicago.
Lead author Dr William Cheung, of the University of East Anglia in the UK, said that the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity and fisheries is going to be huge. He added that it is high time to act to adapt the fisheries management and conservation policies to minimise harm to marine life and to the society. He also told that using own knowledge one can improve the design of marine protected areas which are adaptable to changes in distribution of the species.
Dr Cheung opined that Atlantic cod on the east coast of the US may see a 50 percent reduction in some populations by 2050. He warns that the invasion of new species into unfamiliar environments could seriously disrupt ecosystems. Due to this some species will face a high risk of extinction, including Striped Rock Cod in the Antarctic and St Paul Rock Lobster in the Southern Ocean.
Experts believe that the socio-economic impact could be devastating. Scientists from the World Fish Centre said that thirty-three nations in Africa, Asia and South America are highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change in fisheries. Edward Allison, director of policy, economics and social science at WorldFish, opined that economically, people in the tropics and subtropics likely will suffer most, because fish are so important in their diets and because they have limited capacity to develop other sources of income and food.
