Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: Synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options

This technical paper provides an overview of the implications of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture and maps out solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation around the globe.

The publication contextualizes the topic of climate change in fisheries and aquaculture in terms of poverty alleviation and the implementation of existing policy commitments, such as UN Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement, and takes into account current and expected socio-economic dependencies on the sector. It includes marine and inland capture fisheries, as well as aquaculture, recognizing that the level of evidence and responses at global, regional and national scales will differ between sub-sectors. 

The technical paper also investigates the impacts of extreme events, as there is growing confidence that their number is on the increase in several regions, and is related to anthropogenic climate change. Climate-related disasters now account for more than 80 percent of all disaster events, with large social and economic impacts. Not all extreme events necessarily result in a disaster, and the extent of their impacts on fisheries and aquaculture will depend on how exposed and vulnerable the socio-ecological systems are as well as their capacity to respond. 

Finally, the report is a reminder of the critical importance of fisheries and aquaculture for millions of people struggling to maintain reasonable livelihoods through the sector. These are the people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and particular attention needs to be given to them while designing adaptation measures if the sector is to continue to contribute to meeting global goals of poverty reduction and food security.