Fish production falls due to ocean surface heating

Analia Murias

A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicates that ocean surface water warming limits the upward movement of nutrients and this can cause a decrease in fish production.

The study adds that if the volume of the catch is reduced, the daily life of the population would also be affected.

In the document, UNDP experts warn that limiting the upward movement of nutrients from deeper and colder waters, a phenomenon known as resurgence, will hurt the large marine ecosystems of developing countries located in the warm areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

These regions depend on coastal resources to feed their populations.

As part of the research, 64 areas classified as large marine ecosystems were studied, including river basins and estuaries, and it was found that between 1982 and 2006 there was a rise in temperature in 61 of those areas.

Of these, three are located in Brazilian territory.

Also, in about a third of them the temperature raised four times faster than the global warming trends that are supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

One of the areas where this quick rise in temperature was found was the Baltic Sea in northeastern Europe, whose waters reach to nine countries.

According to UNDP, in 24 years the ocean surface temperature rose by 1.35 ºC.

The UN agency also said that the melting of the regions near the Arctic could heat water and raise fish production. But it could also result in reducing fish size, according to G1.

Faced with the possible collapse of fish species, the UNDP recommends the implementation of actions in order to establish sustainable harvest levels for fishing in warmer latitudes.

It also suggests measures to ensure the sustainability of marine fisheries, to restore and protect coastal habitats, and to reduce the load of pollutants in ocean waters.

By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com