Climate change affects the world's 36 million fisher folk either directly, through sea level rise, or indirectly through affects on fish stocks.

Climate change can adversely affect fisheries in a variety of ways. In the short term impacts on fisheries will be due to increased climatic variation affecting up-welling or wind driven fisheries. In short and medium term further impacts are likely through increased extreme events damaging infrastructure and fishing gears. In the longer term additional impacts are probably through shifts in fish distributions, changes to river deltas and the degradation of sensitive ecosystems such as coral reefs and coastal wetlands.

The aim of this project is to promote awareness of climate change impacts on fisheries. It follows on from previous research into effects of climate change on the sustainability of capture and enhancement fisheries important to the poor (FMSP Project R4778J).

A workshop was held on 12th September 2005 at DFID to review existing knowledge and directions for future research. The workshop will produce a briefing on current knowledge and research needs to support efforts to mitigate climate change impacts on fisheries, particularly on the most vulnerable communities. This will be published through the a 'New Directions in Fisheries' series produced by the Sustainable Fisheries Livelihoods Programme (FAO/DFID), and other channels.

Contacts
Contact	Dr Nick Dulvy	Charlotte Howard
Role	Project Leader	Communications Advisor
Organisation	CEFAS	MRAG Ltd.
Telephone	+44 (0) 1502 524372	+44 (0) 20 7255 7755
Email