Benefits of the Paris Agreement to ocean life, economies, and people

Sci Adv. 2019 Feb 27;5(2):eaau3855. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aau3855. eCollection 2019 Feb.

Abstract

The Paris Agreement aims to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change on ecological and social systems. Using an ensemble of climate-marine ecosystem and economic models, we explore the effects of implementing the Agreement on fish, fishers, and seafood consumers worldwide. We find that implementing the Agreement could protect millions of metric tons in annual worldwide catch of top revenue-generating fish species, as well as billions of dollars annually of fishers' revenues, seafood workers' income, and household seafood expenditure. Further, our analysis predicts that 75% of maritime countries would benefit from this protection, and that ~90% of this protected catch would occur within the territorial waters of developing countries. Thus, implementing the Paris Agreement could prove to be crucial for the future of the world's ocean ecosystems and economies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aquatic Organisms*
  • Climate Change
  • Conservation of Natural Resources / economics*
  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem
  • Humans
  • Models, Economic*
  • Oceans and Seas