Small fishing communities in Northwest Mexico face a double threat: protecting ocean ecosystems while supporting local livelihoods. Climate change is intensifying this challenge, pushing both systems toward risk.
A new study explores how different community management styles, such as cooperative or individual venture, influence resilience against climate impacts.
Monitoring of fishermen
Researchers look at how small fishing communities deal with large-scale changes in the marine environment. They focus on the fishermen’s activities, how many fish they catch, and how much they earn over time.
The team used a method that identifies the links between fishermen and the sea, and shows how these links are changing. They compared groups of fishermen who work together in teams, called cooperatives, to those who work alone, to see if teamwork helps them better handle changes in the sea.
Collaboration is key
“We see that, depending on how they are organized, they can better adapt to climate change, but this has tradeoffs,” said Professor Xavier Basurto of the Duke Marine Lab.
The team found that cooperatives are more adaptable and resilient to climate change than individual businesses. Cooperatives share resources, knowledge, and decision-making, allowing them to adapt more effectively. They diversify their fishing activities, explore new locations, and even target different species to maintain income.
This interconnectedness strengthens their network and makes them more resilient. Unfortunately, individual fishermen struggle alone, lacking the resources and support of a collective.
Strategies for climate change
Climate change has thrown a curveball at small-scale fisheries. When climate damages the ocean, fishermen must adjust quickly to keep their businesses afloat. Researchers have found that they follow certain strategies in such cases.
When climate changes fish populations, fishermen try to catch different species that are now more abundant. This helps them in the short term, but it can also lead to overfishing these new species, harming future catches.
If the local fishing grounds are empty, anglers may venture further afield. It can give life to struggling communities, but it can also put pressure on new areas and create conflicts with other ocean users.
Long-term strategies are needed
While quick fixes like changing catches offer a temporary lifeline, they can harm the fish and their homes in the long run.
Real strength comes from a bigger picture, understanding that healthy fisheries depend on healthy oceans and thriving communities. Diversifying income beyond fishing, using less dangerous ways to catch fish, and protecting important underwater areas like coral reefs are all key.
Importance of studying
Millions of people around the world depend on small-scale fisheries for their food and income, especially in coastal communities. By understanding how these fisheries can adapt and succeed in the face of climate change, we can help ensure that these communities and their way of life continue.
The study not only looks at how fisheries can adapt, but also how they can do so in a way that protects the ocean. By finding ways to fish that both damage the environment and make fisheries more resilient to climate change, this research helps us balance the needs of people with the need to protect the ocean.
Multiple challenges
“Climate variability and changes in ocean ecosystems are creating challenges for fisheries sustainability, both economically and environmentally,” said Timothy Frawley, first author on the paper and researcher at the University of Maine. Darling Marine Centre.
“While we know a great deal about how individual fishers and coastal fishing communities respond to changing oceans, much less is known about how the social structures in which they choose to organize their themselves can influence their vulnerability to associated shocks and stressors and their ability to adapt.”
Solutions for a diverse fishing community
Climate change support for fishing communities needs to be specific to how they manage themselves and how resilient they are. This means different policies for different groups, and providing resources, information, and tools that help them adapt to changing conditions in a sustainable way.
While communities need to adjust to survive now, they also need to think long-term. Some ways to adapt can actually make things worse in the long run. Building resilience means finding ways to make a living from fishing that is good for the environment and doesn’t endanger future communities. This could include fishing in a more sustainable way, or better ocean conservation.
Additionally, how small fishing communities adapt to climate change may affect everyone differently. It is important to ensure that everyone benefits, and that the most vulnerable people are not left behind.
Future directions
Further research on the social and economic impacts of climate change on fishing communities, including gender, income inequality, and well-being, will provide a more complete understanding of vulnerability and resilience.
Moreover, studying different regions and types of fisheries can show how factors such as social, economic, environmental, and governance affect resilience and adaptation.
“It’s really exciting to see how fine-scale information on fisheries organizations can inform our understanding of responses to climate impacts,” said Heather Leslie, a professor of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine. .
“It’s good to do this kind of analysis in New England, especially given the growing interest in innovative techniques in fishing, aquaculture and other dimensions of the blue economy.”
The study was published in the journal Global Environmental Change.
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