Climate, Fisheries, and Food Cultures: Beyond the Fish
As we discussed in the last edition of Climate, Fisheries, and Food Cultures, warmer ocean temperatures are causing dramatic shifts in fish habitats. Across the globe, fish species are migrating further north in an attempt to maintain their ideal temperature; because of this, the abundance and diversity of marine life is significantly impacted. While there is widespread research on this migration, we don’t know as much about how this is impacting fishing communities. Specifically, we still lack an understanding of how different fishing communities might be impacted in different ways.
A group of fisheries and marine ecosystems researchers (including Dr. Talia Young, while she was at Rutgers University!) studied how fishing communities in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region are exposed to risks from climate change. To do this, they calculated the habitat loss of various fish species, created maps of typical fishing patterns, and determined which fishing patterns were at the most risk of climate change-induced fish migration. In doing this, they found that New England and other northern regions are most likely going to gain suitable fishing habitat, and the southern part is most likely to lose suitable fishing habitat. However, this wasn’t true across the board, and the impacts were different based on how and where fishing communities caught seafood.
So, what comes next? These impacted fishing communities will need to adapt to the changing climate; otherwise, they will lose future opportunities for fishing. By adopting new practices like catching new species or fishing in different locations, fishing communities will be more prepared for the upcoming global changes.