Economic impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish fisheries and aquaculture in the United Kingdom

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Ocean acidification (OA) may pose a serious threat to commercial fisheries in Europe, especially those reliant upon vulnerable shellfish species. No economic assessment of the effects of OA on shellfish production has previously been attempted in the UK, although calcifying shellfish species generated more than 50% (£302 million) of total marine fisheries revenue in 2012 (figure 1), and a further £33 million of revenue was associated with shellfish aquaculture. Applying the Net Present Value (NPV) approach, a partial equilibrium (PE) model and a computable general equilibrium (GE) model, we estimated both direct losses and wider economy consequences of OA impacts on shellfish production up to 2100 at 2010 prices.