Chapter 16: Climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptations: Australian marine fisheries

Key messages • There are long-term trends in the temperature and currents of the oceans around Australia that are already leading to substantial changes in associated marine ecosystems; these trends are projected to continue and to have greater impact in the future. • Temperatures are warming at almost three and four times the global average off Southwest and Southeast Australia respectively; ecological and fishery impacts are compounded in these locations as the currents are also changing. • There have been extensive climate-related changes in distribution of sea urchins, intertidal molluscs, seaweeds and many coastal fish species over the last few decades. • Long-term change and extreme events, such as marine heatwaves and cyclones, have impacted commercial fish habitat such as mangroves, kelp beds and coral reefs, and reduced populations of important commercial species. The coral reef systems of Australia have experienced severe and extensive bleaching, multiple times and over large areas, in recent years. • Multiple assessment approaches suggest that invertebrates are most at risk from climate change, and pelagic fishes the least. Australia’s most valuable fisheries target invertebrate species. • Adaptation options are being considered by fishery managers in Australia, particularly around access rights and spatial management. Although research to underpin adaptation efforts is underway, much remains to be done.