Thumbnail Image

Impacts on climate change on fisheries and aquaculture

Executive summary of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper 627

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 44

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Category Corporate general interest

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The booklet includes the executive summary of a technical paper on current scientific knowledge available on climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture, as well as adaptation and mitigation responses. The booklet will summarize the main information contained in part I on impacts and part II on responses and will address marine and inland fisheries, as well as aquaculture. The original report includes a general overview of the main climate change drivers and their impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Interactions of climate change with poverty are described, as well as institutional opportunities that could help reduce food insecurity and poverty. The global importance of fisheries and aquaculture in terms of food security and economic benefits is described to frame the findings of the technical paper. Projections of future fisheries catch potential provide an estimate of the expected impacts at global scale. Part I indicates the current impacts on marine fisheries summarized by geographical area, in the context of other stressors such as overfishing or pollution. Inland fisheries are also addressed through two different angles: the climate change impacts on freshwater fisheries system and a more specific analysis by basin or region. Three chapters are dedicated to aquaculture, focussing respectively on drivers, adaptation options and interactions with other sectors. Two chapters address critical and emerging hazards, such as extreme events and hazards in aquatic animal health and food safety. Part II is dedicated to adaptation and mitigation responses and presents toolboxes compiling potential solutions to cope with climate change in the sector.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure
    FAO’s work on Climate Change. Fisheries, Aquaculture and Climate Change: The role of fisheries and aquaculture in the implementation of the Paris agreement 2016
    Also available in:
    Billions of people around the world depend on fisheries and aquaculture for food, essential nutrients and livelihoods. The sector is already under stress from pollution, habitat degradation, overfishing and harmful practices; climate variability, climate change and ocean acidification represent additional threats to the sector and dependent communities. FAO and its partners are working together to reduce vulnerabilities of those most dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for their existence by designing and implementing suitable adaptation and mitigation measures. FAO and its partners are working at finding solutions to meet an ever-growing demand for fish in an era of limited natural resources, build resilience and unlock the Blue Growth potential of the aquatic systems.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Factsheet
    Enhancing Country Capacity to Implement Climate Change Adaptation Measures in Fisheries and Aquaculture - GCP/GLO/959/NOR 2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The direct and indirect effects of climate change are altering aquatic ecosystems, driving changes in physical, chemical and biological processes, including changes in the distribution and abundance of species, and in the frequency and/or severity of extreme events. These changes are likely to have implications for fisheries and aquaculture, and could consequently impact food security and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. Evidence indicates that climate change impacts will be geographically uneven, calling for significant tailored support to assist developing countries, many of which are likely to be negatively affected the most, with how to make positive and cohesive adaptations that ultimately moderate potential loss and damage, or help them benefit from opportunities associated with climate change. Effective adaptation is a process of positive adjustment of policies, resource management, and associated systems, as well as building the capacity of communities and the private sector to prepare for and respond to climate change impacts. Against this background, the project aimed to improve the capacity of three selected countries, the Philippines, Saint Lucia and South Africa, to develop and implement effective climate change adaptation plans and actions that promoted socio economic development in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Technical study
    Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture
    Synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options
    2018
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement recognizes the need for effective and progressive responses to the urgent threat of climate change, through mitigation and adaptation measures, while taking into account the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems. The inclusion of adaptation measures in the fisheries and aquaculture sector is currently hampered by a widespread lack of targeted analyses of the sector’s vulnerabilities to climate change and associated risks, as well as the opportunities and responses available. This report provides the most up-to-date information on the disaggregated impacts of climate change for marine and inland fisheries, and aquaculture, in the context of poverty alleviation and the differential dependency of countries on fish and fishery resources. The work is based on model projections, data analyses, as well as national, regional and basin-scale expert assessments. The results indicate that climate change will lead to significant changes in the availability and trade of fish products, with potentially important geopolitical and economic consequences, especially for those countries most dependent on the sector.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.