What are climate-resilient fisheries and how do we create them?

 Climate resilience is critical for the health of our fisheries and the millions of people who depend on them for food, nutrition and a sustainable future. In Fishing for Resilience, our Resilient Fisheries Director Merrick Burden shows the elements needed to build fisheries that can adapt to or withstand fluctuations stemming from climate change, such as rising ocean water temperatures or decreasing habitat health.

1. Tackling the cumulative effects of climate change

Tackling the effects of climate change on the planet and ocean resources, like fisheries, is essential for a climate-resilient future. By acknowledging the cumulative effects of climate change and taking action now, we can secure a resilient future for our oceans.

2. Practicing sustainability in fisheries

Using sustainable practices in fisheries is equally important for a climate-resilient future. Yet in the face of climate change, sustainability means making changes to how practices worked in the past — such as adjusting catch levels as conditions change, shifting management across space as species move, and more.

3. Implementing the principles of fishery resilience

Lastly, the principles of resilience are core to ensuring fish stocks — and communities dependent on ocean resources — can withstand effects of climate change. Resilience can help an ecosystem resist, recover or adapt to climate change, and when partnered with sustainability and adaptation practices, can strengthen fisheries and fishing communities for the future.

As the impacts of climate change continue to increase, it is critical that
governments and stakeholders work together to integrate climate-
resilient elements into fisheries — to secure food and nutrition security,
stable livelihoods and ecosystem health.