The Senate investigates: climate change, marine fisheries and biodiversity

摘要

In December 2017, the Australian Senate Environment and Communications References Committee published an inquiry report, entitled In hot water: the impacts of climate change on marine fisheries and biodiversity.~1 The purpose of this report was to incorporate expert knowledge on the effects and implications of climate change on Australian marine biodiversity and the fishing and aquaculture industry, to provide sound advice informing the Australian Government on adapting to climate change through policy and regulatory responses, and support fisheries, marine ecosystems and biodiversity. This report synthesised expert evidence from Australian research organisations on a range of matters associated with the effects of climate change on the marine environment, identified knowledge gaps, and identified some considerations. The key terms of reference of the inquiry related to the current and future impacts of climate change on the physical oceanography (eg, ocean temperature, currents, and chemistry), marine fisheries (eg, fish stocks, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture, quota-setting, and access rights), and marine ecosystems and biodiversity (eg, marine pests and diseases, marine biodiversity protections, biosecurity measures, and monitoring systems). The report also addressed Indigenous fishing, fisheries management adaptations, and marine tourism.