After six years, CLOCK has produced novel evidence on how fisheries systems can adapt to climate change impacts in marine species distribution, key to policy action and to avoid maladaptation. Sustainable and equitable fisheries are needed to maintain the supply of food and animal protein to the human population, and to support the livelihoods of the millions of people. At this point, CLOCK outputs have resulted in 22 peer review publications, 3 international doctoral thesis, 5 master thesis, and number of presentations in international conferences.
The work performed under CLOCK mainly includes 1) the combination of global climate, ecological and fisheries data to understand impacts and adaptation responses in small-scale fisheries; 2) a thoroughly comparison on existing frameworks from various disciplines to design a novel Adaptation Framework in fisheries social-ecological systems; 3) the development of bio-economic models at the local and regional levels to understand optimal management in spatial property right systems, transboundary stocks, and marine protected areas; 4) empirical case study approaches, with stakeholder analysis and individual fisher surveys to understand adaptation responses and test the Adaptation Framework. All these tasks have included constant communication (including collaboration agreements) of research objectives and results, including final workshops in the case study areas.
At the global level, we find that impacts from shifting stocks exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, with larger shifts linked to higher economically dependent species in poorer countries. These impacts have implications for food security and contribute to global inequities, where tropical countries that greatly depend on fisheries for food supply face the larger projected climate impacts, and show more transformative adaptation responses in small-scale fishing communities. We also find research gaps in adaptation for the climate change hotspot areas of the world.
At the local level, we tested the novel adaptation framework for the industrial fisheries in the Basque Country (Spain) and the artisanal fisheries in Nayarit (Mexico) and Galicia (Spain) to further explore adaptation pathways. All fishers respond to climate change following a pathway that goes from remaining in the activity, to adapting (i.e. changing species) and to transforming their livelihoods (i.e. diversifying income outside the fishery). At greater impacts and for some vulnerable fishing groups, exiting the fishery is the main response. Research in CLOCK finds that impact levels and adaptive capacities determine the responses of fishers and organizations to climate change. Results also illustrate how industrial and artisanal fisheries differ in the adaptation responses, being the organization of the fishery key for adaptation in both industrial and artisanal fisheries.
The project results ultimately inform fisheries policy by means of collaboration agreements and participatory processes developed along the action. Results have been presented to the fishing communities to identify key solutions for climate resilience and for sustainable and just adaptation and transformation processes. These policy recommendations were shared with the governing institutions. A series of videos have also been developed to give voice to the sector and to communicate the results
