Vulnerabilities

Climate change is changing the habitats and food bases of the fish populations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and also the marine ecosystems of these areas in general. As yet, it is impossible to tell exactly what that means. The
new species could turn out to be competitors for food or additional sources of food (1).

Adaptation strategies

In the German adaptation strategy a number of adaptation measures are summarized to combat the impact of climate change on fishery (1):

• for the fishing industry to carry on working in the long term, it is necessary to draw up long-term management and restocking plans. Scientists should keep developments under observation;
• incentives should be created to prevent discarding of unwanted catch components. This by-catch is largely thrown overboard again as waste;
• catch methods must be improved so that only specific fish are caught in the nets;
• the uncertainties about the future development of fish stocks call for moderation and ongoing monitoring. At the same time there is a need to establish protected zones. The aim must be to restore the full reproductive capacity of the stocks;
• consumers should be made aware of fish that they can buy with a clear conscience. labels such as certification of compliance with the criteria of the marine Stewardship Council (mSC) can help here;
• fishing personnel should be more closely integrated in tourism so that they can find new sources of income;
• environmentally sound aquaculture systems should in particular breed species that feed on plants. That is more sustainable.

References

The references below are cited in full in a separate map 'References'. Please click here if you are looking for the full references for Germany.

1. Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (2009)