HONG KONG SAR\u00a0–\u00a0Media
\u00a0<\/p>\n The report Sink
\u00a0<\/p>\n Under a severe climate change trajectory, which
\u00a0<\/p>\n Scientists call for immediate action to reduce
\u00a0<\/p>\n Parts of these marine areas have
\u00a0<\/p>\n The research, conducted by University of British
\u00a0<\/p>\n The fisheries team applied advanced ecosystem
\u00a0<\/p>\n “Under certain climate change scenarios, seafood
\u00a0<\/p>\n “This is especially the case in the tropical
\u00a0<\/p>\n The analysis specifically focuses on seafood
\u00a0<\/p>\n The severe climate change scenario estimated
\u00a0<\/p>\n Combined with the effects of a severe climate
\u00a0<\/p>\n The East China Sea is similarly expected to lose
\u00a0<\/p>\n The overexploitation of Asia’s fisheries has in
\u00a0<\/p>\n “Many people are unaware that aquaculture can
\u00a0<\/p>\n The research highlights an urgent need to seek
\u00a0<\/p>\n “The research sets the foundation to initiate
\u00a0<\/p>\n “With a strong commitment to regional fisheries
\u00a0<\/p>\n All eyes are on this week’s United Nations
\u00a0<\/p>\n Read the full report here.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nOutReach<\/a>\u00a0– 3 November 2021 –\u00a0The combined impacts of climate change
\nand overfishing mean Asia’s fisheries are at risk of collapse in the coming
\ndecades, according to new research released today.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/images.media-outreach.com\/Thumb\/500x0\/193118\/ADM.jpg#image-193118\")
<\/p>\nPhoto credit:
\nCalton Law, further press materials available here.<\/a><\/span><\/h6>\n
\nor Swim: The future of fisheries in the East and South China Sea<\/i><\/a> shows that growing demand for fish-based
\nfeed in the aquaculture industry is an emerging driver of fisheries
\noverexploitation in the East and South China Seas.<\/p>\n
\nindicates a 2\u02daC warming by 2050, the South China Sea is likely to experience
\nsignificant declines in key commercial fish and invertebrate species, placing
\nmany regional fishing economies at risk of devastating failure.<\/p>\n
\nfishing effort in the next ten years in order to prevent irreparable damage to
\nAsia’s key oceans. As the two most important fishing areas in the West Pacific
\nin terms of productivity and economic value, the East
\nand South China Seas have a combined trade valued at approximately
\nUS$100 billion. <\/p>\n
\nexperienced warming ten times the global average, whilst subject to decades of
\noverfishing. Many
\ncommercially important species, such as chub mackerel or large yellow croakers,
\nare currently classified as overexploited.<\/p>\n
\nColumbia (UBC) fisheries scientists and ADM Capital Foundation, highlights key
\nthreats and risks of economic losses under a range of climate change and
\nfisheries management scenarios. <\/p>\n
\nmodelling techniques to project the impacts of climate change and overfishing
\non fish populations and the revenues generated by the fisheries of the East and
\nSouth China Seas. <\/p>\n
\nspecies that are mainstays of the Hong Kong seafood market, such as groupers
\nand threadfin breams, could be reduced to a fraction of their present
\npopulation by the end of the century \u2013 if not driven completely to extinction,”
\nexplained Dr. Rashid Sumaila, Professor at the Institute for the Oceans and
\nFisheries and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC.<\/p>\n
\nwaters of the South China Sea, where many fish species are already facing the
\nlimits of their heat tolerance,” he added.<\/p>\n
\nspecies that are valuable to Hong Kong, where 95% of seafood consumed is
\nimported and the annual value of imports rank amongst the highest in the world.<\/p>\n
\nlosses in revenues upwards of US$10bn annually for South China Sea fisheries.
\nBy comparison, US$3-7bn in losses are projected under a mild climate change
\nscenario, equating to 1\u02daC in global warming by mid-century.<\/p>\n
\nchange scenario, continued business-as-usual fishing intensity is expected to
\nresult in a 90% drop in key commercial species, by weight (biomass) in the
\nSouth China Sea by the end of the century. This translates to a projected
\nUS$11.5bn of annual revenue losses.<\/p>\n
\n20% of the biomass of its key commercial species under this same set of
\nconditions. However, in a scenario where fishing intensity is reduced by 50% in
\nthe next ten years and climate change is mild (i.e., 1\u02daC warming by
\nmid-century), the East China Sea has the potential to gain 20% in marine
\nfisheries biomass by 2100 compared to present day.<\/p>\n
\npart been driven by the growth of the aquaculture industry. Many commercial
\nvessels now opt for a ‘quantity over quality’ approach to produce feed for
\nfarmed fish and animal feed \u2013 known as feed-grade fishing.<\/p>\n
\ncontribute to overfishing, rather than counteract it,” said Dr Yvonne Sadovy,
\nHonorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong. “By using wild-caught fish
\nfor aquaculture feed, we are harvesting juvenile fish of commercially important
\nspecies and potentially jeopardizing future regional food security.”<\/p>\n
\nalternative protein sources for the aquaculture industry. By allowing juveniles
\nto mature in the wild, modelling predicts that regional fisheries revenue would
\nbe over ten times higher than if current feed-grade fishing practices are
\ncontinued. <\/p>\n
\nregional dialogues to collectively manage East and South China fisheries,
\nespecially including themes of climate change adaptation,” said Ashley Bang, an
\nauthor of the report.<\/p>\n
\nmanagement and climate change mitigation, our oceans can continue to support
\nAsia’s human, social, and economic well-being to infinity,” <\/i>said Dr. Rashid Sumaila of UBC. “The choice is ours to
\nsink or swim.”<\/p>\n
\nClimate Change Conference (COP26) which will determine whether the necessary
\nactions will be taken to mitigate climate change. If not, the millions of
\nlivelihoods that depend on the East and South China Sea’s fisheries will spiral
\ninto crisis.<\/p>\n