Fisheries management and human adaptation

Abstract

Ecology Finding effective ways to mitigate the future impacts of climate change on fisheries is critical. Previous efforts have not incorporated alternative human responses to climate change. These could limit or exacerbate ecosystem changes that affect fish stocks and population locations. Gaines et al. analyzed four fisheries management approaches that address fish stock–productivity adaptation and/or range-shift adaptation. They then applied these management scenarios to 915 species stocks worldwide. Implementing proactive and adaptive fishery management approaches would bring about higher global profits (154%), harvest (34%), and biomass (60%) as compared with strategies reflecting no management changes. Addressing both range shifts and productivity changes lead to greater benefits as compared with targeting one challenge alone. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.aao1378 (2018).