The impact of climate change on fish stocks is to be discussed by the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday.
As Afloat has reported, new research on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) suggests the ocean current is closer to its “tipping point”.
The meeting at 11 am on Tuesday in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House will hear from representatives from the Marine Institute and Met Éireann, and Dr Louise Vaughan of the Atlantic Technological University (ATU).
Committee cathaoirleach Conor McGuinness said: “The committee agreed to hold this meeting on the foot of research on the impacts of ocean warming on species distribution and stock productivity, and potential future changes of ocean circulation.”
“ This research suggests that any potential slowdown of the AMOC, the system of ocean currents that transports heat from the tropics to the North Atlantic, could cool Irish waters and impact on Ireland’s marine ecosystems,”he said.
“Research using current climate models predicts a slowdown of AMOC by 34-45 per cent by the end of this century,” he said.
“This research characterises an AMOC shutdown as a low probability/high impact event. But the impacts of a complete shutdown could have serious consequences such as disruption to land and marine ecosystems and biodiversity,”he said.
“Separate research shows evidence that Irish waters are experiencing changes in sea surface temperature and ocean heat content, which has accelerated in recent years,”McGuinness continued.
“It is predicted that this ocean warming will become an increasingly important factor in the health of fish stocks, presenting challenges in terms of fisheries management.”
“The biological impacts caused by climate change include disruption to availability of food sources for certain fish stocks, changes to species distribution, and commercial viability of certain fish populations,”he said.
“Decreased productivity has been observed in traditional cold-water species while certain warm-water species are extending their range into Ireland’s fishing waters,”he said.
“The committee welcomes this engagement with our stakeholders and looks forward to a wide-ranging examination of the current and potential future impacts of climate change on fish stocks, Ireland’s seafood sector and maritime communities, and the potential policy responses to meet these challenges,”he said.
The committee has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.
The meeting in Committee Room 2 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
