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Climate and oceanic fisheries: recent observations and projections and future needs

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Abstract

Several lines of evidence show that climatic variation and global warming can have a major effect on fisheries production and replenishment. To prevent overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks under changing and uncertain environmental conditions, new research partnerships between fisheries scientists and climate change experts are required. The International Workshop on Climate and Oceanic Fisheries held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 3–5 October 2011, brought representatives from these disciplines together to consider the effects of climate variability and change on oceanic fisheries, the tools and strategies required for identifying potential impacts on oceanic fisheries, and the priority adaptations for sustaining future harvests, especially in the Pacific Ocean. Recommendations made by the workshop included (1) development and implementation of sustainable management measures for fisheries; (2) long-term commitment to monitoring necessary to assess stock status and to conduct integrated ecosystem assessments; (3) process oriented research to evaluate the potential of marine species for adaptation to a changing ocean environment; (4) provision of improved national meteorological and hydrological services to fisheries agencies, enterprises and communities; (5) continuing communication of potential impacts and adaptation strategies to stakeholders to reduce the threats to oceanic fisheries and capitalise on opportunities; and (6) continued collaborative efforts between meteorological, oceanographic, biological and fisheries researchers and management agencies to better monitor and understand the impacts of short-term variability and longer-term change on oceanic fisheries.

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Acknowledgements

The workshop in the Cook Islands was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organisation (WM), the Asia-Pacific Network (APN), the Government of the Cook Islands, NOAA, the University of Auckland, the Australian Government (through CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology and AusAID), the Government of New Caledonia and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Issues discussed in this paper are motivated in part by the CLIOTOP program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    M. J. Salinger

  2. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, B.P. D5, 98848, Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia

    J. D. Bell & V. Allain

  3. Wealth from Oceans and Climate Adaptation Flagships, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, 7001, TAS, Australia

    K. Evans & A. J. Hobday

  4. Danish Technical University, Danish Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Charlottenlund Slot, DK-2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark

    K. Brander

  5. Bureau of Meteorology, G.P. O. Box 1289, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia

    P. Dexter

  6. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    D. E. Harrison

  7. Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA

    A. B. Hollowed

  8. World Meteorological Organisation, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, Case postale 2300, CH-1211, Geneva 2, Switzerland

    B. Lee & R. Stefanski

Authors
  1. M. J. Salinger
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  2. J. D. Bell
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  3. K. Evans
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  4. A. J. Hobday
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  5. V. Allain
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  6. K. Brander
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  7. P. Dexter
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  8. D. E. Harrison
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  9. A. B. Hollowed
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  10. B. Lee
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  11. R. Stefanski
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. J. Salinger.

Additional information

This article is part of the Special Issue on “Climate and Oceanic Fisheries” with Guest Editor James Salinger.

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Salinger, M.J., Bell, J.D., Evans, K. et al. Climate and oceanic fisheries: recent observations and projections and future needs. Climatic Change 119, 213–221 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0652-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0652-9

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