Tuesday July 23, 2024
The Maritime Executive —
Global fish catches are likely to plunge if the planet warms by just a few degrees, according to one of the most comprehensive attempts to model this understudied topic.
The projections are based on the quantity of fish in the sea, rather than focusing on catches. But the finding raises serious concerns for commercial fishers and coastal communities who rely on fish to feed themselves and their families.
Nearly 50 countries and territories face a reduction of 30% or more in their exploitable fish if warming reaches 3 to 4C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, according to a report launched by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) last week.
Holding warming to 1.5 to 2C by achieving net-zero emissions around 2050 would stabilize losses to less than 10% for most countries and territories.