Anticipating the impact of climate change on the spatial distribution of marine fisheries: a global perspective
Climate change; marine fisheries; Bayesian models; species distribution modeling; future projections
Climate change-induced redistribution of fish stocks is anticipated to have global implications for marine fisheries. However, the spatial responses of different countries and fishing gears to these changes remain unknown. Using species distribution models, we projected fisheries occurrence across 82 countries and 13 fishing gears in 2100, under two climate scenarios. Fisheries occurrence is expected to significantly increase at the poles, favoring countries already engaged in polar fishing. Conversely, vulnerable fishing-dependent tropical regions like the Indo-Pacific and Western Africa are projected to experience significant declines. Individual country responses varied based on their fleet’ gear composition, resulting in both winners and losers. Prioritizing the low-emission scenario is crucial to mitigate climate change impacts on fisheries, given that changes were far more pronounced under the high-emission scenario.