Northward movement of marine species

Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

• No published assessments

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

Many species of plankton and fish have shifted their distribution northward and sub-tropical species are occurring with increasing frequency in European waters, changing the composition of local and regional marine ecosystems in a major way (Brander et al., 2003; Beare et al., 2004; Beare et al., 2005; Perry et al., 2005; Stebbing et al., 2002). Recent studies have shown that the northward movement of southerly species has caused species richness in the North Sea to increase (Hiddink and Hofstede, 2008). This may have negative ecological and socio-economic effects: the three large species that have decreased their range the most in the North Sea are all commercially relevant, while only one of the five most increasing species and less than half of the all the species that expanded their range are of commercial value. A climate change-induced shift from large to smaller species is thus likely to reduce the value of North Sea fisheries (Hiddink and Hofstede, 2008).
The kinds of fish which are available for human consumption are not necessarily affected by the distribution changes shown above, because fish are often transported long distances from where they are caught to where they are marketed, but the prices of fish may change if certain species that are common today become less common. People eating locally-caught fish may notice changes in the species they catch or buy. Changes in distribution may affect the management of fisheries. Fisheries regulations in the EU include allocations of quotas based on historic catch patterns, and these may need to be revised.
In a few situations, e.g. early retreat of sea ice in Arctic areas, the effect of climate change may be to increase fish catches (ACIA, 2004), but in general it is not possible to predict whether northward shifts in distribution will have a positive or a negative effect on total fisheries production (Brander, 2007).

Scientific references

• No rationale references available

Indicator definition

• Recordings of two tropical fish 1963-1996
• Northward movement of zooplankton between 1958-2005
• Relative abundance of Warm-water to cold-water flatfish species
  

Units

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp76-110CC2008_ch5-4to6_Water_quantity_and_quality.pdf

Policy context and targets

Context description

In April 2009 the European Commission presented a White Paper on the framework for adaptation policies and measures to reduce the European Union's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The aim is to increase the resilience to climate change of health, property and the productive functions of land, inter alia by improving the management of water resources and ecosystems. More knowledge is needed on climate impact and vulnerability but a considerable amount of information and research already exists which can be shared better through a proposed Clearing House Mechanism. The White Paper stresses the need to mainstream adaptation into existing and new EU policies. A number of Member States have already taken action and several have prepared national adaptation plans. The EU is also developing actions to enhance and finance adaptation in developing countries as part of a new post-2012 global climate agreement expected in Copenhagen (Dec. 2009). For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm

Targets

No targets have been specified

Related policy documents

No related policy documents have been specified

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp76-110CC2008_ch5-4to6_Water_quantity_and_quality.pdf

Methodology for gap filling

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf

Methodology references

No methodology references available.

Data specifications

EEA data references

• No datasets have been specified here.

External data references

• Changes in fish distribution in the eastern North Atlantic
• Recordings of the migration of the tropical fish species silvery john dory (Zenopsis conchifer) and rosy dory (Cyttopsis roseus)
• Monthly mean graphs for CPR standard areas (dataset URL is not available)

Data sources in latest figures

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf

Data sets uncertainty

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified