What is the relationship between harvest strategies and climate change?

November 23, 2024

AuthorSara Pipernos
Program Associate, International Fisheries

Managing fish stocks in a rapidly changing climate is an ongoing challenge for fishery managers worldwide. Classic fisheries models recognize that production processes are dynamic but do not account for the long-term trends induced by climate change. Harvest strategies can help adaptively manage climate-vulnerable fish stocks by a) testing climate change scenarios (e.g., changes to stock productivity or natural mortality) in MSE to identify “climate-smart” harvest strategies and b) using the inherent adaptiveness and responsiveness of harvest strategies to quickly modify fishing levels in response to fluctuations in abundance as a result of climate change. For more insights on how harvest strategies can address the impacts of climate change, check out our webinar and blog, where experts delve into the intersection of fisheries management and climate resilience.