Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Climate Vulnerability Assessments (CVAs) are important tools for understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries. Since their introduction in the 1990s, CVAs have evolved from theoretical frameworks to practical applications aimed at fostering climate‐resilient fisheries management. This review synthesises recent advancements in CVAs, focusing on methodologies, geographic applications, stakeholder participation and their contributions to fisheries management. While many CVAs emphasise ecological or social dimensions, recent efforts have integrated these components, offering holistic insights into the vulnerabilities of fisheries as coupled socio‐ecological systems. Key innovations include participatory approaches that incorporate expert knowledge and stakeholder input alongside advances in quantitative modelling and spatially explicit analyses. Our review highlights specific examples where CVAs have informed various management applications, such as species protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the design of adaptive harvest strategies in Australia. However, barriers remain, including inconsistent methodological standards, limited uptake in nations with low‐income economies and challenges translating CVA outputs into actionable policies. Looking ahead, developing generalised, integrated frameworks that bridge ecological and social dimensions, identifying ways to link CVA outputs to management guidance, and improving methodologies for data‐limited contexts will all improve uptake and application of CVAs. Strengthening the connections between existing CVAs and climate‐ready fisheries through adaptive management strategies can support fisheries management outcomes in a changing climate while balancing ecological sustainability and socio‐economic equity.
Source: Fish and Fisheries
DOI: 10.1111/faf.70064
Authors: Nima Farchadi, Daniel Crear, Yunzhou Li, Michael Alexander, Martin Arostegui, Daniel G. Boyce, Gemma Carroll, Elliott L. Hazen, Eric Hoffmayer, Melissa Karp, Kristin M. Kleisner, Jon Lopez, Laura McDonnell, Nick Napoli, John A. Quinlan, Vincent Saba, Emily Shumchenia, Camrin D. Braun, Rebecca L. Lewison
Institutions: San Diego State University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, Stony Brook University, NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory, Environmental Defense Fund, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton University, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Award: G5211076235
OpenAlex ID: W7129038482