Climate change risks to marine ecosystems and fisheries

Climate change impacts on marine fisheries resources are changing the distribution and productivity of marine organisms around the globe. Knowledge and model projections to estimate fish biomass gains and losses are crucial for informing climate-resilient fisheries management and adaptation planning. This report was developed in collaboration with the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project (FishMIP); it presents projections to 2100 of exploitable fish biomass under different climate scenarios, for all countries and territories. The results are based on state-of-the art modelling approaches produced by a global network of marine ecosystem modelers. Investigating the medium- and long-term effects of climate change on global marine ecosystems and fisheries, modellers collaborated to compare existing models worldwide and to produce an ensemble of projections, along with their associated uncertainties, under low and high-emission future scenarios. The report's elements are expected to support countries' efforts in updating their Nationally Determined Contributions to achieve the Paris Agreement goals.