(California, Thursday, April 13, 2023) – Fishermen across the Pacific Coast are feeling the impacts of climate change. In California, this year’s salmon season is canceled and several Dungeness crab fisheries also had to be closed. In Alaska, the snow crab fishery collapsed this year.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is working with partners and fishermen on solutions to help fisheries and the communities that rely on them to become more climate-resilient.

Chris Free, a fishery research scientist at the University of California-Santa Barbara, worked with EDF to study the management rules for 500 U.S. fisheries, and developed recommendations that will help build climate-resilience.

SOUNDBITE #1:

THERE’S NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION FOR CREATING CLIMATE-RESILIENT FISHERIES, BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO NOW THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SHORT AND LONG TERM.

Bob Dooley is a retired fisherman from Half Moon Bay.

SOUNDBITE #2:

I STARTED FISHING COMMERCIALLY WHEN I WAS 11 ON THE BACK DECK OF THE SALMON TROLLER. OVER THE NEXT SIX DECADES MY BROTHER AND I BUILT A REALLY SUCCESSFUL BUT EVOLVING FISHING BUSINESS. CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW JEOPARDIZING MANY OF THESE TRADITIONAL FISHERIES AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT DEPEND ON THEM. FISHERMAN AND COMMUNITIES MUST ADAPT TO SURVIVE.  WE MUST LOOK FOR NEW WAYS TO ADAPT AND MOVE FORWARD. FISHERMAN HAVE A LOT TO OFFER IN THIS PROCESS. GET INVOLVED. IF YOU AREN’T AT THE TABLE YOU’RE ON THE MENU.

For more information, visit fisherysolutionscenter.edf.org