A group of scientists from India and Australia is trying to find news ways for the world’s fishing industry to adapt to climate change.
Warming waters have already prompted some fish species to migrate and the scientists say there is an opportunity to create new fisheries, as Felicity Ogilvie reports.
FELICITY OGILVIE: The oceans around India and south east Australia are what scientists describe as global warming hot spots.
STEWART FRUSHER: They are regions that are warming at the top rate around the world and so they are, I dare say, natural laboratories to be able to see and observe them and in both regions we are seeing fish species move south in Australia and north in India.
FELICITY OGILVIE: That’s Associate Professor Stewart Frusher from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Hobart.
He’s been hosting a meeting between scientists from both India and Australia, and they’ve been discussing how fisheries can adapt to climate change.
STEWART FRUSHER: In some areas we are seeing a lot more of fish shift into new regions so we need to make sure that we capitalise on some of the opportunities that they may present particularly where there are fish that we know are of a good commercial value.
FELICITY OGILVIE: The scientists have talking about the possibility of putting fingerlings or fish eggs into the ocean in order to take advantage of climate change.
Dr Syda Rao is the director of the Central Marine Fisheries Institute in India.
He says climate change will make it possible for warmer fish species to thrive in the waters off Tasmania that used to be cooler.
SYDA RAO: So the probabilities that we are to introduce the subtropical or tropical fish here for breeding purposes and propagate here.
FELICITY OGILVIE: Dr Rao says it’s important that fisheries adapt to climate change, because the world’s population is growing and more fish will be needed to feed people.
SYDA RAO: This is I believe is very important both in India and Australia because food security very important and India produces around 10 million tonnes of fish per annum, similarly Australia produces around three tonnes of fish and you know, it is very important for us to study how they are changing.
FELICITY OGILVIE: Associate Professor Stewart Frusher wants to make sure that people don’t misunderstand the plan to take advantage of climate change.
STEWART FRUSHER: Well certainly what we are not talking about here is introducing totally new species into the environment. I think we’ve had a fairly bad history globally with that. What we are looking at is the idea that species which are coming down and we may see them in low abundance, that they be fast tracked some of their movements. But what we are looking at here is how we can actually start to sophisticate, become more sophisticated in the way we do that and how at the same time we can ensure that what we do also is protecting our biodiversity.
FELICITY OGILVIE: The scientists will meet again in India this March.
They are working on a strategic plan that will be submitted to both the Australian and Indian governments. And because both countries are climate change hot spots, the scientists expect their research will influence fisheries around the world.
2012 ABC