Barents Sea Cod and Haddock Fisheries Doomed if Temperatures Continue to Rise Say Norwegians
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [Barents Observer] by Maura Forrest - May 7, 2015
The temperature of the Barents Sea could increase by nine degrees Celsius by the end of the century, if no action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions. And that could spell doom for many important fisheries, like cod and haddock.
These are the findings of a recent report from Norway’s Institute of Marine Research, which used temperature projections from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Under the IPCC’s business-as-usual scenario, average global temperature will increase by up to 4.5 degrees Celsius. Temperature increases in the Arctic are predicted to be double the global average, in part because the ice sheet across much of the Arctic is quite thin. As it melts, the darker surfaces of land and water absorb more heat and further accelerate warming.
Svein Sundby, the research scientist who wrote the report, said an increase of nine degrees could make the Barents Sea unlivable for many fish populations.
“That is absolutely over the hill for cod and many other boreal species, ” he said. “Most of the Norwegian commercial species are boreal species. ”
Sundby said Atlantic cod on the Norwegian continental shelf thrive in ocean temperatures between zero and 11 degrees Celsius...
To Read Full Story Login Below.