A study has produced the strongest evidence yet that climate change is forcing hundreds of valuable fish species toward the poles. The paper, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science on Friday, concludes that Canadian and Arctic waters may end up with more species and greater abundance. But fisheries in the tropics, where people depend more heavily on seafood, may become hollowed out. The variety of species available for fisheries in the tropics will decrease, said co-author William Cheung of the University of British Columbia. It may be good news for the Arctic — our projections are that the Arctic will be a hot spot for species invasion. There will be more variety of fish species available for the Arctic region. Previous studies have suggested that warming ocean waters will affect the distribution of fish stocks. Cheungs paper gives the clearest and broadest picture yet of those effects. More than 800 species studied Using a combination of three different mathematical models and the latest climate data, he forecast the probable distribution of 802 commercially exploited fish species. Those species include commonly harvested fish such as cod, tuna, herring and halibut. On average, Cheung found the fish are slowly moving toward the South and North poles at a rate of between 15 and 26 kilometres a decade. The effect is more pronounced in the Arctic, where warming is happening the quickest.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 05:59:13 +0000