Mediterranean fisheries

A team of researchers from the Université Côte d'Azur and their collaborators investigated the impact of climate change on the future evolution of the range of small pelagic fish in Europe, including Anchovy and Sardine. are parties for example. These species have an essential ecological and economic role, representing almost half of the catches of fishing in Europe.

Their work has projected a significant expansion of these species towards Northern Europe by 2100. On the contrary, the significant warming expected in the Mediterranean, may induce a local disappearance of these species in its south-eastern basin. This study also recalled the need to limit global warming to 2 ° C since the pre-industrial era to minimize its impact on the exploitation of marine resources.

European anchovy

Engraulis encrasicolus,(Linnaeus 1758)

European anchovy sheet

European pilchardus

Sardina pilchardus, (Walbaum, 1792)

 European pilchard sheet 

A common sole, a gilthead seabream, a common pandora or even a European seabass ... These are fish that have often been found on our plates of Mediterranean dishes for centuries. Who knows if future generations, by the end of the century (around the year 2100) will still eat it? Who knows if the fishermen will still see them in their nets? With climate change continuing to warm our Mediterranean waters, nothing is sure yet!

This is the contribution of the post-doctoral researcher Emna Ben Lamine to the CLIM-ECO² project. She studies the effect of global warming on economically important species for Mediterranean fishing. Other than the fish mentioned above, it considers the anglerfishes, the European hake, the European hake, the surmullet and the red mullet. The question is also to know, following the changes in the geographical distribution areas of these species, what would be the impacts on the fishing economy and the income of fishermen? The whole team is working there to identify the ecological impacts on these species, but also the economic impacts of global warming.  

Red mullet

Mullus barbatus, (Linnaeus, 1758)        

Red mullet sheet

Surmullet

Mullus surmuletus (Linnaeus, 1758)

 Surmullet sheet

These works project a significant shift in the distribution area of three species of cephalopods from the Mediterranean towards the North of Europe by 2100. These results would be strongly attenuated for a warming limited to 2 ° C since pre-industrial times.

Common octopus

Octopus vulgaris ,(Cuvier, 1797)

Common octopus sheet

Common cuttlefish

Sepia officinalis, Linnaeus, 1758

  Common cuttlefish sheet

European squid

Loligo vulgaris, (Lamarck, 1798)

European squid sheet