Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


American lobster is Canada's most valuable fishery. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries)

New tool can help lobster fishery adress impacts of climate change

Click on the flag for more information about Canada CANADA
Thursday, October 17, 2019, 22:20 (GMT + 9)

Researchers use long-term survey data sets and climate models to help fishing communities plan for a warmer ocean

U.S. and Canadian researchers have developed a new tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto specific fishery management areas. Now  fishermen, resource managers, and policy-makers can use it to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia and Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine as waters warm.  

“Climate change has socio-economic impacts on coastal communities and the seafood market, but integrating that information into planning and decision-making has been a challenge,” said Vincent Saba, a fishery biologist at the NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center and a co-author of the study. “Ocean warming is leading to an accelerated redistribution of marine species. Knowing how animals will shift distribution, and what to do about shifts across management borders both regional and international, will be critical to planning on how to adapt to those changes.”

American lobster is Canada’s most valuable fishery, contributing 44 percent of the total commercial value of all fisheries in Atlantic Canada in 2016. Lobster landings have been trending upward in recent decades, and many small rural communities in Atlantic Canada rely heavily on lobster for their economic well-being. Changing climate could have a significant impact on the fishery and on those communities.

Researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax, Nova Scotia and at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center collaborated on the study.

Impact of projected temperature changes

Their findings, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, indicate that overall projected changes in offshore lobster habitat for the region as a whole are positive, but that changes in resource management need to be considered to promote the long-term sustainability of the fishery in Nova Scotia.

Ocean temperatures have been warming in the Gulf of Maine and along the Northeast Continental Shelf during the past few decades, causing many species to shift their distribution to the northeast. When ocean temperatures are above the preferred range for lobsters, it can reduce their survival, growth, and reproduction. The potential effects of marine heat waves, like that observed in the Gulf of Maine lobster population in 2012, can also be significant on the Scotian Shelf, a region with a relatively high proportion of species at the edge of their thermal range.

Coastal infrastructure and lobster vulnerability

Researchers generated two climate change vulnerability indices, one for coastal communities and one for lobster in Nova Scotia. Two ocean models, a regional ocean model with high resolution in the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine region and a global climate model, provided projections of ocean bottom temperatures over multiple decades.

The coastal infrastructure vulnerability index puts a numerical value on each lobster management area to indicate relative vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Factors included economic dependence on the fishery, community population size, diversity of the fishery revenue, status of harbor infrastructure, total replacement cost of each harbor, increased relative sea level and flooding, impacts of wind and wave climate, and sea ice.

Map showing the value of  total landings in Nova Scotia, Canada by lobster fishing area (LFA). Black dots represent Fisheries and Oceans Canada small craft harbor locations. Photo: Greenan et al, 2019 (Source: NOAA) | Click to enlarge

The vulnerability index also puts a numerical value on the vulnerability of offshore lobster habitat to ocean warming and changes in zooplankton, a primary prey, as well as anticipated changes in fishery productivity across management borders.
New tool could help prepare for changes

Study authors suggest the new assessment tool could prepare a region for changes in potential catch through adjustments in licensing and quotas, or adapting to a decrease in productivity by encouraging and assisting fishermen to diversify their targeted species, where they fish, or to seek non-fisheries-related income. It could also support planning for projected increases in catch through investing in upgrades to coastal community infrastructure.

“Our analysis is a first step in considering this information in local fishery management decisions and longer-term economic development strategies,’ said Saba, who is located at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University.  “This tool anticipates change and could be incorporated into assessment models and help fishermen and resource managers with long-term planning.”

Source: NOAA Fisheries


editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
Spain
Jul 11, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
PERTE Mar-Industria Success: €40 Million Allocated to Boost Sector Investment and Sustainability
Iceland
Jul 11, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
MMC First Process to Deliver Advanced Fish Welfare System for Samherji Fiskeldi's Icelandic 'Salmon Garden'
Kenya
Jul 11, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
Victory Farms Pioneers Sustainable Tilapia Farming in Africa, Joins ASC Improver Programme
Morocco
Jul 11, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Morocco's Aquaculture Sector Flourishes, Targeting 71,000 Tonnes Annually
Norway
Jul 11, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
BioMar More Than Doubles Vitamin D Levels in Salmon Diets, Enhancing Fish Health and Consumer Nutritional Value
Argentina
Jul 11, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Argentina's Fisheries Exports until May 2025: Squid Drives Growth, Shrimp Suffers Drastic Fall
France
Jul 11, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Norway Dictates Global Salmon Market as Prices Trend Downward in 2025
Chile
Jul 11, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other media | MundoAcuicola: Australis advances its antibiotic-free production and strengthens health monitoring
Spain
Jul 11, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | Industrias Pesqueras: Pesca España raises its voice against illegal fishing during Vigo SeaFest
Norway
Jul 11, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | Fish Focus: Norwegian salmon continues to lead global sushi category
Norway
Jul 11, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | fishfarmingexpert: Robot net cleaner maker Remora raises £12m for expansion
Peru
Jul 10, 06:00 (GMT + 9):
IMARPE Debunks Single Jumbo Squid Population Theory in the South Pacific
United States
Jul 10, 05:30 (GMT + 9):
ASMI: 2025 Weekly Alaska Salmon Harvest Update #4
Argentina
Jul 10, 05:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Subarea 12 in Argentina Opens for Commercial Shrimp Fishing
Russian Federation
Jul 10, 02:30 (GMT + 9):
Russian Far East Reports Strong Start to 2025 Salmon Fishing Season



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
IMARPE Debunks Single Jumbo Squid Population Theory in the South Pacific
Peru Peru's Marine Institute (IMARPE) has refuted recent statements suggesting a single jumbo squid population unit in the South Pacific, asserting that no conclusive scientific evidence supports this clai...
Russian Far East Reports Strong Start to 2025 Salmon Fishing Season
Russia Fed. Kamchatka leads the way, while Primorye and Khabarovsk Krai show exceptional results as total Pacific salmon catches surge by over 45% compared to 2023, signaling a robust season driven by favorab...
Historic Abundance of Illex: Record 2025 Norpatagonian Squid Season
Argentina Argentina's squid fishery has experienced its best season in years, with an unprecedented 84,000 tonnes caught from the Norpatagonian stock, a phenomenon not seen in nearly three decades, attributed t...
Pollock Catch in West Bering Sea Reaches 131.2K Tons by June End, Matching Last Year's Pace Despite Later Start
Russia Fed. Despite beginning 15 days later, Russia's pollock fishery in the West Bering Sea zone has nearly matched last year's catch volumes, hitting 131.2 thousand tons by the end of June. The fleet is activel...
 

Umios Corporation | Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2025 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER