Wednesday May 14, 2025
PhysOrg —
New opportunities for fishing off the west coast of Greenland are being opened up by climate change, University of Strathclyde research has found—but they bring risks to the region’s ecosystem.
The new fishing grounds, which have emerged through decreasing ice coverage, could prolong the trawling season but the researchers warn that they must be carefully managed to prevent over-exploitation.
Increased emissions
The study projects that waters suitable for fishing in the region will have increased by 6.2% by the 2040s and 11.4% by the 2090s, from 2010s levels. It concludes that economic gains from this expansion could also risk overexploitation of the fisheries and increased carbon emissions from trawling activity.
The researchers call for sustainable management of the fisheries, capable of adapting to a changing environment in the longer term. The study has been published in the journal Fisheries Oceanography.