Impact Of Climate Warming On Fish

586 Words3 Pages
International consensus on the reality of climate change is now apparent: global warming is ascribable in large part to human activities. It is causing rapid deterioration of the environment and is increasing the threat to biodiversity. However, the mechanisms of its impact are still poorly known, particularly in the aquatic environment. At Cemagref, two researchers, who have been analysing the freshwater fish community over the two last decades, have observed profound changes that are more intense and long-lasting than predicted. Global warming, whose impacts have been demonstrated since the 1980s and 1990s, influences the functioning of the world’s ecosystems as well as the structure and the diversity of animal and plant communities. The GIEC’s (International group of experts on global warming) latest report in September 2007 states that the global temperature should increase by 1.4–5.8°C between now and the year 2100. This phenomenon is an added pressure on the environment that will become increasingly intense over time and should be taken into account in planning sustainable resource and ecosystem management. However, its impact and the possible influence of the effects of other non-climate factors still remain difficult to determine. Towards reduced stream biodiversity? Two Cemagref researchers, Martin Daufresne and Philippe Boet, have studied the effects of this phenomenon on aquatic environments and particularly on the fish communities residing in French streams. Changes in the number, size and representativeness of fished species have been observed for approximately 20 years. Fishermen believe that the fish caught today are no longer the same as before. New species living in warm or Southern waters, such as spirlin and the common bitterling, are gradually replacing the traditionally fished species. With a large-scale analysis, combining data collected on
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