Local weather change report highlights potential impacts for wild seize sourced seafood

Analysis goals to arm business with the data to adapt to anticipated threats and alternatives

The long run challenges for the seafood Business introduced on by a altering local weather are the topic of a brand new report printed by Business our bodies and academia.

The report, titled ‘Local weather change threat adaptation in UK seafood: Understanding and responding to a altering local weather within the wild seize seafood business’, has been produced by Dr Angus Garrett (Seafish), Dr John Pinnegar (Centre for Setting, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, CEFAS), Dr Tara Marshall and Dr Julia Wouters (Aberdeen College).

It’s a refresh of earlier work printed 10 years in the past which launched anticipated local weather change impacts on the provision of untamed seize seafood to the UK.

Since then, though the primary bodily local weather change impacts stay, there are new potential impacts to contemplate.

These embrace coverage modifications which make local weather change obligations a extra essential consideration for the business; evolving market attitudes with penalties for seafood – significantly round accountable sourcing; unlawful, unreported and unregulated fishing exacerbated by modifications in local weather and geopolitics.

Dr Garrett from Seafish, the general public physique which helps the UK seafood business to thrive, defined how the report might help the sector adapt to future local weather associated challenges.

He mentioned: “With a warming world there are modifications afoot in fisheries with impacts proper alongside seafood provide chains. The extent of future warming stays an open query, however being ready for potential modifications is inside our grasp.  This report hopefully contributes to that preparation.”

It’s hoped the analysis will present the seafood business with a place to begin for adapting to a altering local weather by each reviewing projected impacts for seafood and figuring out potential future responses.

Round 30 seafood stakeholders engaged with the analysis course of, which was carried out over 2022 and 2023, sharing a variety of information and opinions.

The work, which is printed as a full report, with a abstract report and supporting infographics, argues that the world is “undoubtedly warming” however settlement on simply how heat it’s more likely to get continues to be open to debate.

Nonetheless, increased emissions in coming years will undoubtedly carry larger penalties for the seafood business by modifications in sea ranges, in storms and waves, air and water temperature, ocean acidification and terrestrial rainfall.

The first focus of the report is on local weather associated impacts for species teams related to the UK market – sourced from residence and overseas: whitefish, pelagics and shellfish.

Adaptation actions which is able to assist the seafood Business’s response to rising modifications are then set out.

For additional info, and the entry the studies, please go to Local weather Change Impacts and Adaptation | Seafish