Human Development Report - Croatia 2008 The Fishing and Mariculture Industries^1619.7. Addressing climate change/
climate variability in the
fisheries/ mariculture sector
As has been stated in previous chapters, adaptive ca-
pacity is the ability of a natural system, human com-
munity or an individual, to adjust to existing climate
variability and future changes in climate conditions.
Some adaptation will occur autonomously, but for
much of it a number of measures have to be taken into
account in order to reduce the negative effects on sys-
tems, communities or individuals. Within the fisheries
and mariculture sector, we can examine the current
level of knowledge available to decision-makers (in-
cluding firms and people involved in the industry), the
resources available for adaptation, as well as potential
adaptation options. Finally, we can make some recom-
mendations for next steps.
9.7.1. Information availability for decision-
makers to assess vulnerability and adapt to
climate conditions and climate change
Before making concrete recommendations for adapta-
tion, more information and analysis will be necessary
in this sector. Most research studies on the influence of
global climatic changes on Adriatic ecosystems, fish-
ery and mariculture are performed in Split (at the In-
stitute of Oceanography and Fisheries) and Dubrovnik
(at the University of Dubrovnik). However, most of the
collected data are not products of straightforward
projects on this subject and subsequently issues of
climate change and the fisheries/ mariculture indus-
tries are still not a priority in national scientific and
technological projects. Although a significant amount
of information and data have been collected in the
last 10 years, this has not resulted in coherent mate-
rial for use by decision-makers in Governmental bod-
ies or in the business community. An in-depth survey
of all available data is essential in order to perform a
broader analysis and compare the situation in Croa-
tia with other Mediterranean areas. It would then be
possible to locate priorities for future research and
identify ways for decision-makers to launch potential
adaptation oriented measures. This analysis should
also include the potential economic costs resulting
from physical changes in the fishery/ mariculture in-
dustries as well as the costs and benefits of adaptation
options.
Due to a lack of knowledge or their focus on other pri-
orities, major stakeholders in the ministries and in the
various companies engaged in the sector do not place
much importance on the issue of climate change. The
only areas where stakeholders and the public seem
concerned are those areas where damages are already
visible, significant and attributed to climate change (in
the Neretva River estuary and Mali Ston Bay). In these
areas the general perception is that changes involv-
ing the invasion of bluefish have had a negative im-
pact on the sector and local lives. The recognition of
invasive fish species (bluefish and gilthead sea bream)
as a source of present and future potential damages,
by local fishery and shellfish communities, led the Du-
brovnik-Neretva County Government to finance two
projects executed by the University of Dubrovnik.XXVII
The projects started in 2008 but have wide research
targets focusing only partly on the impact and effects
of these two fish species. The results should be avail-
able to the public in 2010.
In order to develop adaptive fishery management
and adequate measures to prevent losses and to pro-
mote the benefits of the potential impact of climatic
changes on the Croatian fishery and mariculture sec-
tors, more funding must be provided for fundamental
and applied research.
The following activities are recommended:- Multidisciplinary oceanographic and hydro-
graphic research into Adriatic research and iden-
tification of the process of interaction between
the climate and marine ecosystems, - Ongoing investigation of changes in the compo-
sition, number and food web structure of Adriatic
fish and other marine organism populations,
XVII See http://www.unidu.hr/projekti.php for more details on the
projects.