With global warming and climate change adversely affecting the marine life, the scientific community along with other stakeholders has recommended and integrated transition to a carbon-neutral society, eco-centric approaches for development and close monitoring of distribution shifts of marine fishes and species due to warming of water bodies.
The recommendations were included in the draft policy adopted at the International Conference on Impact of Climate Change on Hydrological Cycle, Ecosystem, Fisheries and Food Security ( ClimFishCon 2020) held in Kochi.
The other recommendations are adopting a National Action Plan for climate friendly resilient technologies and diversified livelihood strategies, adaptive nature-friendly way approaches for using water, ecosystem-based Fisheries Management to adapt to climate change, Pollution Control, Climate Resilient Aquaculture, adapting various strategies for the preservation of preserving Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, giving priority to conservation of biodiversity, and protection/conservation of wetland ecosystems adopting an Integrated Management Plan.
In the conference that concluded on February 14, the scientists and others were of the opinion increase in sea surface temperature was directly affecting the distribution of fishes. In the conference, it was pointed out that biodiversity loss of ocean was accelerating with an increase in sea surface temperature.
KUFOS Founder Vice Chancellor and Organizing Chairman B Madhusoodana Kurup said that climate change and warming impacts were quite visible in functional changes in food web, altering ecosystem and changes in distribution of pelagic fishes such as mackerel and oil sardine.
It was also pointed out there was much evidence to show that fishes have migrated to other regions because of climate change.
