Well-adapted seas system
Risk to the system from climate change: increased sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves, and climate-related changes to ocean chemistry and currents impact the sea system.
Objective
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Seas are healthy and diverse, with climate-responsive management practices for habitats and fisheries.
- Proposed target: by 2030, marine protected areas should have adaptation management plans in place, and by 2050, should be in favourable condition.
- Proposed target: by 2050, commercial fish stocks should be sustainable under 2°C of global warming.
Actions
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Marine habitats: larger areas of healthy, connected, and more diverse habitats.
- Create larger areas of healthy protected habitat that are more connected and diverse: to increase resilience and allow species to move as the climate changes. Protected areas can be designed to facilitate connectivity and create safe areas for vulnerable species. Connectivity may need to cross national boundaries and requires international cooperation outside UK waters. Marine protection must consider future climate conditions and be flexible and responsive to climate change.
These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the land system, and in the food security system.
Marine fisheries and aquaculture: diversified range of fish caught and farmed, resilient fisheries and aquaculture operations.
- Diversify the range of fish caught or farmed at sea: cold water species such as cod and haddock will decline in UK waters as their distributions move northwards. UK waters will see an increase in fish requiring warmer waters which could create new opportunities and markets. Fishing different species may require a shift in markets and changes to fishing practices or locations, licensing, or quotas.
- Undertake climate resilient fisheries and aquaculture operations: including changes to assets or fishing gear, more sustainable catch methods to protect fish stocks or marine habitats, and changes to aquaculture infrastructure or disease management practices.
These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the food security system.
Cross-cutting: prevent the spread and manage impacts from invasive non-native species, pests, pathogens, and disease.
- Prevent the spread and manage impacts from disease, pests, pathogens, and invasive non-native species (INNS): these impacts will change in type and distribution as temperatures warm. Actions include biosecurity measures to reduce the spread of INNS, such as through ballast water or via vessels, and targeted removal where risks are high. Monitoring or early warning systems are essential to understand water conditions and detect the presence of new diseases, pests, pathogens, and INNS.
These adaptation actions are connected with adaptation in the health system.
Enablers
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Reduce external pressures: for good ecological condition of habitats to improve resilience to climate change.
Reducing marine pollution and harmful fisheries practices will increase the health, and therefore resilience of marine habitats and ecosystems. This will generally be achieved through better marine management and protection.
Data and monitoring processes: for understanding climate driven changes and their impacts in the marine environment and adaptation options.
Data and monitoring is needed to better understand climate driven changes in the marine environment, and the impact of these on marine habitats, fisheries, and aquaculture. This could include monitoring of water conditions or of species populations in UK waters and early detection of diseases. This enabler is particularly important to support actions to manage impacts from diseases, pests, pathogens, and INNS as well as understanding the need for and effectiveness of all adaptation actions in response to changing marine conditions.
Engagement, awareness, and support: for decision-making on climate impacts and adaptation options within the fishing industry.
More awareness of climate change impacts and adaptation options is required for the fishing industry. For example, learning from fisheries practices in other countries with species we might want to fish or develop markets for in the future.
Policies
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Governance: planning and protection for marine habitats and fish stocks that considers changes to habitats and ecosystems from climate change.
Management of marine designated areas increases resilience through removing external pressures and supporting a naturally functioning, healthy, and diverse marine environment. This needs to be managed and enforced and should be informed by regular monitoring of change. A network of connected marine protected areas will support species to move as the climate changes.
The suitability of marine designations and protections is likely to change in the future. Without a more flexible (or adaptive management) approach we may be protecting the wrong species or the wrong locations.
Regulation: flexible licensing and quotas for fishing and aquaculture to apply under changing conditions.
Fishing and aquaculture require licensing and consents which could be used as a lever to support adaptation. These may need to become more flexible to apply under changing conditions. Quotas and agreements can be used to reduce pressures of overfishing for marine habitats. Dynamic fishing quotas may support greater resilience as populations change and shift distributions. Licencing and quotas can also be used to support the fishing industry to exploit opportunities that climate will bring, such as fishing different species.
International collaboration: to negotiate and plan for changes in marine fisheries outside UK waters.
International collaboration on adaptation for the marine environment and fisheries could be achieved through trade agreements, licencing and quotas.