Joint ICES-NMTT Workshop launching the Nordic Climate Change Forum for Fisheries and Aquaculture (WKNCCFFA)

The Nordic Marine Think Tank (NMTT) and International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Workshop launching the Nordic Climate Change Forum for Fisheries and Aquaculture (WKNCCFFA) reviewed and considered recent research and other initiatives relevant to challenges posed by climate change for fisheries and aquaculture in the Nordic region. It also aimed to synthesize expertise, practical experiences and lessons learned of stakeholders in meeting challenges of climate change and to develop a collaborative platform to facilitate exchange among stakeholders, science, civil society and policy makers. The scoping workshop met these objectives. Scientists set the context and scene for the impact and measures for climate change. Participants considered the challenges facing industry and policy makers. The workshop concluded that future seafood availability will mostly be from aquaculture, that there is a need to establish a common protocol and standards for measuring CO2 emissions. More research on value chain is needed, including establishing open-source platforms for data sharing and on enabling consumer acceptance of new species. Policy frameworks are important and dedicated climate change policies in the fisheries and aquacultures sector needs to be established through dialogue across stakeholders. Climate change considerations need to be part and parcel of fisheries management considerations and quota allocations and a review of present-day governance structure for fisheries management is needed. Gear and vessel innovations are needed to reduce CO2 emissions of fishing activities and industry and policy makers should start by focussing on the low hanging fruits.