What is the relationship between harvest strategies and climate change?

November 23, 2024

AuthorShana Miller

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.

POSTSOur latest posts

Our new blog post covers the ups and downs of this year's just-wrapped ICCAT annual meeting - from a new management procedure for W Atlantic skipjack to a higher-than-advised TAC for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the west. Read more here:

The GFCM has adopted 2025’s first international #harveststrategy, choosing a precautionary, science-based rule for blackspot seabream in the Alboran Sea. With the stock at only ~5% of unfished levels, this is a key step toward recovery and sustainability:

Upcoming trilateral (EU-NO-UK) talks are crucial for North Sea herring. Managers can adopt a new #MSE-tested long-term management strategy that considers herring’s ecosystem role and supports stable, sustainable catches for 2026 and beyond. Read more:

Recent blogs

Sciaena

November 24, 2025

Mixed bag for management procedures in the Atlantic

Read more
Seabream Hcr

November 14, 2025

Mediterranean Secures the First International HS Adoption of 2025

Read more
Bshworkshop

November 10, 2025

Building a Sustainable Future for Blue Sharks: Report from the Global Blue Shark MSE Workshop

Read more

Resources