Invited Keynote Presentation at International
Climate and Fisheries Symposium

Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: A invited presentation on El Niño and Climate Change was given at the international symposium “Impacts of El Niño and Basin-Scale Climate Change on Ecosystems and Living Marine Resources: A Comparison between the California and Humboldt Current Systems”.

Background: It has long been recognized that the major fishery populations off Chile and the western U.S., as well as the physical processes that shape these coastal ecosystems, are similar. More recent analyses suggest that the size and distribution of these stocks rise and fall concurrently on time scales of several years to decades. Environmental variability may be a significant contributor to these fluctuations. From this, it can be presumed that future climate change will modify these regions in similar ways, and drive similar shifts in fish stocks as well.

Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: The symposium’s goal was to bring together scientists from North and South America to compare the signal of El Niño and climate change and their impact in the California and Humboldt Current systems. A particular emphasis was on the influence of climate change on important fisheries, and the socioeconomic implications of this.

Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: There has been a long history of collaborative research between scientists at PFEL and other EBC countries on the impact of environmental variability on fisheries. The most recent collaboration took place at a symposium and workshop in Viña del Mar, Chile during August 2002, “Impacts of El Niño and Basin-Scale Climate Change on Ecosystems and Living Marine Resources: A Comparison between the California and Humboldt Current Systems”. The meeting included a symposium of invited and contributed presentations to an international audience that included approximately 200 Chilean students. These scientific presentations compared the environmental signals of El Niño and climate change in the California and Humboldt Currents, the apparent ecosystem and fisheries responses, and their socioeconomic implications. The meeting also featured a round-table discussion by the science directors of IFOP, IMARPE, INP and the Southeast Pacific Commission, and representatives from the fishing industry of Chile and FAO. Like the scientific discussions, the science directors’ reports clearly demonstrated that all countries face similar challenges, and have the same management needs for the best and most up-to-date scientific information.

Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): These international meetings promote the exchange of scientific information on the impact of climate change on fisheries. This information is a valuable resource to managers, and greater communication between the scientists and managers is encouraged.

Problems: Scientists and resource managers recognize the need to integrate this emerging knowledge into fisheries management. However the communication of this knowledge to the stock assessment and management level must be improved. NMFS should continue its support of international studies of the impact of environmental variability on fisheries.

Key Contact: Franklin B. Schwing, (831-648-9034, Franklin.Schwing@noaa.gov)