Changing Seas: Adaptation of the Fisheries in the Mediterranean Basin

13 December 2023. From 18:00 To 19:30 | Conference | English | French | CaixaForum Macaya, Barcelona

The marine resources of the Mediterranean Sea provide a significant contribution to the food security, economy, and culture of the Basin’s population. However, this natural wealth of Mare Nostrum has been overexploited, putting the sustainability of Mediterranean fisheries at risk.

Moreover, anthropogenic climate change is further endangering Mediterranean ecosystems. The increase in sea temperatures, marine heat waves, salinity, and ocean acidification upset the ecological balance of the Mediterranean Sea. The consequences are well identified: a reduction in the size of fish species, an increase in mass mortality of vertebrates and invertebrates, redistribution of fish stocks, and finally the facilitation and amplification of the establishment of non-indigenous species. While the increase in sea temperature puts a significant number of Mediterranean indigenous species under stress, especially small pelagic species such as anchovies or sardines, it also allows thermophilic non-indigenous “invasive” species to flourish, leading to important changes in the ecosystems upon which Mediterranean communities rely for their livelihoods. The example of the lionfish, one of the most recent and potentially damaging non-indigenous species introduced in the Mediterranean, is particularly illustrative.

In this context, Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture are not only called to adopt more sustainable practices to preserve stocks but are forced to adapt to these perturbations in the marine ecosystem to maintain their activities.

Following an analysis of the main impacts of climate change on Mediterranean marine resources and the economic consequences for the fishing industry, this session explores the different adaptation options available to ensure the sustainability of the sector. It notably discusses the strategies implemented to address the threat posed by non-indigenous species such as lionfish. The session takes stock of the adaptative capacities of the subregions and countries of the Mediterranean to the ecosystem’s perturbations driven by climate change and highlights the potential for cooperation to enhance these capacities.

This session of the Med Dialogues 2030 series takes place at the CaixaForum Macaya, Pg. de Sant Joan, 108, Barcelona. Free entrance with prior registration.

Read articles by both speakers in the sidebar links.