Large‐scale redistribution of maximum fisheries catch potential in the global ocean under climate change

Abstract Previous projection of climate change impacts on global food supply focuses solely on production from terrestrial biomes, ignoring the large contribution of animal protein from marine capture fisheries. Here, we project changes in global catch potential for 1066 species of exploited marine fish and invertebrates from 2005 to 2055 under climate change scenarios. We show that climate change may lead to large‐scale redistribution of global catch potential, with an average of 30–70% increase in high‐latitude regions and a drop of up to 40% in the tropics. Moreover, maximum catch potential declines considerably in the southward margins of semienclosed seas while it increases in poleward tips of continental…

• PC
  Pew Charitable Trusts
• UO
  University of British Columbia
• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration