The CLOCK project: Adaptation to the redistribution of fish stocks comes to an end after six years of activity. The Future Oceans Lab research group at CIM-UVigo, led by Elena Ojea, has used this project to deepen scientific knowledge on fisheries adaptation to the impacts of climate change from a socio-ecological perspective.
“The balance is very positive, as CLOCK not only allowed us to found our own research group, Future Oceans Lab, but also enabled us to develop in-depth case studies, such as the adaptation of the artisanal fishing sector in Galicia and in Nayarit (Mexico), or the tropical tuna sector in the Basque Country,” explains Elena Ojea.
The European Research Council (ERC) project has, over the years, identified adaptation pathways, maladaptation (or poor practices), and provided solid information for decision-making. The main results of CLOCK, which were presented today at an event attended by Galician fishermen’s guilds and representatives of the Xunta de Galicia, show that the sector is already perceiving the effects of climate change in Galicia, which is threatening the functioning of marine ecosystems, where new species are appearing or habitats are changing. “This impacts fishing activity, producing changes in catches, higher risks at sea, and higher operating costs,” explains the researcher from Future Oceans Lab, who also highlights that these impacts reach social systems in the form of increased vulnerability of the sector, as well as a loss of social capital and tradition.
The research carried out within the framework of the CLOCK project has led to other conclusions, such as that, in general, in response to negative impacts on catches, most fishermen and fisherwomen, as well as shellfish gatherers, follow an “adaptation pathway” in which they move from adapting—choosing strategies of resource and gear diversification—to transforming and eventually leaving the sector as the impacts increase.
It is also worth highlighting that most people working in the fishing sector feel a strong sense of responsibility towards the conservation of the marine environment and the sustainability of the resource, and they call on administrations and scientists to take action that will allow them to continue carrying out their work.
The project met the objectives initially set. “We propose a new framework for studying fisheries adaptation to climate change from a socio-ecological perspective,” says Elena Ojea, who also highlights the project’s impact on decision-making at both national and international levels, including participation in the IPCC report on climate change and initiatives such as the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
“At the regional level, we have engaged with the fishing sector and established a working relationship based on trust. This is the case with Galician fishing guilds, and we are now doing the same in Mexico,” the researcher explains.
In addition to today’s event held with the fishermen’s guilds and the regional government, where the results achieved were presented, these were also discussed by the stakeholders involved in decision-making. The project will also transfer its results through a proof of concept that is currently being developed, which will allow scientific findings to be translated into society.
