Abstract

Concerns over the socio-economic impacts of observed and projected changes of climate have been high on the research agendas of scientists the last several decades. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the recent observed warming is largely human-induced, and the trend will continue at least into the next century owing to ‘thermal inertia’, directly related to the concentration of greenhouse gases already emitted to the atmosphere (IPCC, 2001, 2007). While there is a dearth of research on the specific effects of climate change on commercial and artisanal fisheries in the Caribbean, valuable insights can be gleaned from observations and projections in other jurisdictions. In contrast with some projections in middle and higher latitudes, the consequences of climate change on Caribbean fisheries are expected to be mostly negative. Adverse impacts on regional fisheries are likely to manifest themselves through habitat alteration and loss, reduced abundance and diversity, and possibly shifts in distribution induced by changes in ocean currents. In light of these projections, stakeholders in the regional fishing industry might wish to give greater credence to the challenges posed by climate change and climate variability than currently appears to be the case. Appropriate response strategies may not require radical changes in current approaches to management, but rather more effective implementation of existing and proposed arrangements.

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