Ecosystem approach to harvesting in the Arctic: Walking the tightrope between exploitation and conservation in the Barents Sea

• Published in: Ambio
• Main Authors: Heath, Michael R., Benkort, Déborah, Brierley, Andrew S., Daewel, Ute, Laverick, Jack H., Proud, Roland, Speirs, Douglas C.
• Other Authors: Natural Environment Research Council, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2021
• Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Chemistry; Geography, Planning and Development; General Medicine; Arctic; Barents Sea; Medusa; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01616-9; https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13280-021-01616-9.pdf; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-021-01616-9/fulltext.html

Abstract Projecting the consequences of warming and sea-ice loss for Arctic marine food web and fisheries is challenging due to the intricate relationships between biology and ice. We used StrathE2EPolar, an end-to-end (microbes-to-megafauna) food web model incorporating ice-dependencies to simulate climate-fisheries interactions in the Barents Sea. The model was driven by output from the NEMO-MEDUSA earth system model, assuming RCP 8.5 atmospheric forcing. The Barents Sea was projected to be > 95% ice-free all year-round by the 2040s compared to > 50% in the 2010s, and approximately 2 °C warmer. Fisheries management reference points ( F MSY and B MSY ) for demersal fish (cod, haddock) were projected to increase by around 6%, indicating higher productivity. However, planktivorous fish (capelin, herring) reference points were projected to decrease by 15%, and upper trophic levels (birds, mammals) were strongly sensitive to planktivorous fish harvesting. The results indicate difficult trade-offs ahead, between harvesting and conservation of ecosystem structure and function.