Depleted fish stocks and climate change

“THE environmental message is loud and clear: The ocean current flanking the western coastline is changing, forcing economic and social change on the people who have made a living from it in the past.”

This was said by Horst Kleinschmidt, Managing Director of Feike Natural Resource Advisors, in a presentation to the three-day Benguela marine symposium that started in Swakopmund yesterday. Although scientists do not yet agree on whether the environmental changes in the sea are caused by unknown natural phenomena or are related to global climate change, the impact is enough reason to call for a change in approach.”Depleted fish stocks cannot simply be ascribed to over-fishing or management failure; more is at stake,” Kleinschmidt said.He suggested that, in view of the impact the changes have on jobs, incomes, secondary industries, food security and exports along the length of the Namibian, Angolan and South African west coast, the symposium was a good platform for identifying and addressing the challenges ahead.He said it was important to understand that all three countries affected are exploiting marine resources from a single and integrated ecosystem – the Benguela Current.It is only in recent years that the importance of maintaining the balance between all the parts of ecosystems has been fully recognised, he said.Kleinschmidt compared the fragility of ecosystems to a house of cards – if one card is removed, all the others come tumbling down.”Obviously there are tolerances in the ecosystem we describe here, as it has allowed for moderate take of one or other species without the system breaking down.But now we are preciously close to the ‘tipping point’ which could lead to a possible larger breakdown of the system or parts of it,” he said.”It is the coinciding of two mega-factors that forces us to take account of global changes compounded by local induced actions and how nature is not able to always adapt, compensate or correct imbalances by itself.”He said despite the impressive achievements of the Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction and Training (Benefit) and the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) programmes over the last decade, it was time now to look at and implement their weighty findings and recommendations in light of the immediate challenges facing the fishing environment.”The problem is known: the Benguela Current is no longer delivering fish as it did in the past, whether it be in South African, Namibian or Angolan waters,” he said.In light of this, the governments of the three countries signed an agreement in August this year to establish the Benguela Current Commission (BCC), which will monitor and manage the Benguela ecosystem as a single entity regardless of national boundaries.Kleinschmidt said there were several signs in the Benguela system suggesting that climate change is causing depletion of fish resources.All was not gloom and doom, though.”Prudent joint management, elevated above national interests, should be the ultimate goal.The preparations toward that are difficult and will take time to develop.The successor institution was approved when the ministers met earlier this year.The symposium should guide the respective governments to look at immediate options and to long-term measures, some of which require new legislation for joint action,” he concluded.Although scientists do not yet agree on whether the environmental changes in the sea are caused by unknown natural phenomena or are related to global climate change, the impact is enough reason to call for a change in approach.”Depleted fish stocks cannot simply be ascribed to over-fishing or management failure; more is at stake,” Kleinschmidt said.He suggested that, in view of the impact the changes have on jobs, incomes, secondary industries, food security and exports along the length of the Namibian, Angolan and South African west coast, the symposium was a good platform for identifying and addressing the challenges ahead.He said it was important to understand that all three countries affected are exploiting marine resources from a single and integrated ecosystem – the Benguela Current.It is only in recent years that the importance of maintaining the balance between all the parts of ecosystems has been fully recognised, he said.Kleinschmidt compared the fragility of ecosystems to a house of cards – if one card is removed, all the others come tumbling down.”Obviously there are tolerances in the ecosystem we describe here, as it has allowed for moderate take of one or other species without the system breaking down.But now we are preciously close to the ‘tipping point’ which could lead to a possible larger breakdown of the system or parts of it,” he said.”It is the coinciding of two mega-factors that forces us to take account of global changes compounded by local induced actions and how nature is not able to always adapt, compensate or correct imbalances by itself.”He said despite the impressive achievements of the Benguela Environment Fisheries Interaction and Training (Benefit) and the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) programmes over the last decade, it was time now to look at and implement their weighty findings and recommendations in light of the immediate challenges facing the fishing environment.”The problem is known: the Benguela Current is no longer delivering fish as it did in the past, whether it be in South African, Namibian or Angolan waters,” he said.In light of this, the governments of the three countries signed an agreement in August this year to establish the Benguela Current Commission (BCC), which will monitor and manage the Benguela ecosystem as a single entity regardless of national boundaries.Kleinschmidt said there were several signs in the Benguela system suggesting that climate change is causing depletion of fish resources.All was not gloom and doom, though.”Prudent joint management, elevated above national interests, should be the ultimate goal.The preparations toward that are difficult and will take time to develop.The successor institution was approved when the ministers met earlier this year.The symposium should guide the respective governments to look at immediate options and to long-term measures, some of which require new legislation for joint action,” he concluded.