New CSIRO Report on Impact of Climate Change on Australian Fish Stocks and Ecosystems
October 6th, 2008 by Adrian YoungMinister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, released the CSIRO Implications of Climate Change for Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture report today.
The report is a preliminary assessment of the challenges posed by climate change to Australia’s $2.1 billion commercial fishing and aquaculture industry. The report finds climate change is likely to affect not only the fishing industry itself, but also the regional and coastal communities the industry supports. It finds climate change impacts will vary by region and that many impacts are expected to be negative, with some data suggesting that effects may have already occurred.
According to the report, projected changes in temperature, ocean currents, rainfall and extreme weather events due to climate change are likely to significantly influence fish stocks and marine ecosystems. However, the report finds there may be new opportunities for some wild fisheries where tropical species shift southward.
Key findings of the potential impact of climate change on Australian fisheries include:
- Spread of the long-spined sea urchin south along the east coast of Tasmania, with serious implications for the Tasmanian rock lobster and abalone fisheries which together were worth over $150 million in 2004-05.
- Considerable impacts on northern Australian prawn fisheries (worth $73 million in 2004-05).
- Impacts on coral reefs, such as an increased incidence of coral bleaching, which will have flow-on effects for fisheries based on reef-associated species, such as coral trout and red emperor.
- Adverse impacts on catches of barramundi, prawns and mud crabs in the northern fisheries through changes in rainfall patterns.
The report is available from www.climatechange.gov.au/impacts
Tags: climate change
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