Putting regional fisheries management organisations’ climate change house in order

Climate change is expected to have significant impacts on the biology, abundance and distribution of transboundary fish stocks, not only among neighbouring countries within the jurisdictions of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) but also between adjacent RFMOs.

Using South Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) as a case study, we highlight how RFMOs need to understand the impacts of climate change on transboundary stocks under their purview with greater certainty. We identify four areas of research that should assist RFMOs to adapt their scientific processes—strengthened understanding of changes in the biology of target stocks; enhanced collection of data to support modelling; improved modelling of catch-per-unit of effort (CPUE) to better reflect climate change impacts on stock abundance for assessments; and ensuring that scientific advice is adaptive and robust to climate change, including through implementation of tested harvest strategies. Investments in these research areas should enable RFMOs to improve the science underpinning management measures designed to sustain transboundary stocks and increase fishery performance during climate change.