Today, The American Fly Fishing Trade Association, through Tomorrows Fish, released its preeminent report on how climate change stands to impact our fisheries. The report, titled For Tomorrow’s Fish: Anglers are the Key to Climate-Resilient Fisheries, provides the motivation and urgency for anglers to advocate for productive work towards adapting our fisheries to a dynamic and changing climate.
“This is a call to arms for an angler-led movement that can help turn the tide and protect the future of fishing,” said Lucas Bissett, Executive Director of AFFTA. “From changing habitats to shifting fish populations and behavior, we can’t ignore the realities we’re seeing out on the water. As long-time stewards of our country’s waterways who are seeing these impacts firsthand, anglers have the power to make a real difference in the fight for climate-resilient fisheries – for our sport, way of life, and industry.”
Climate change is impacting fisheries from coast-to-coast, fresh and salt, sea level and at elevation. Impacts range from sea-level rise, water temperatures, shifting stock distributions, variable productivity, altered water chemistry, and dramatic habitat changes. Preparing for those changes and increasing our collective ability to become resilient is critical for maintaining abundant, sustainable fisheries for the future.
“Now more than ever, we must answer the call to lead and demand progress toward climate-resilient fisheries. Anglers and the outdoor recreation industry have a long legacy of shared responsibility to protect the health of our oceans and inland waters. It is a legacy that we must continue to build upon. As changing marine and coastal conditions increasingly disrupt “our fishing experiences and threaten outdoor recreation businesses, it’s time for the fishing community to take the helm and call for future fisheries that are healthy, sustainable, and abundant.””
To read the full report click HERE; a one pager can be found HERE. This is a great report and advocacy toolkit that clearly and concisely describes the ways that climate change is impacting our fisheries and the threats for the future if we don’t prepare now…Regardless of your thoughts on climate change or what is fueling these changing dynamics, we must understand these changes and adapt our fisheries management enterprises if we want to sustain abundant fisheries in the long-term.
