Vulnerability of small island fishery economies to climate and institutional changes

Abstract

Small island developing states (SIDS) are vulnerable to climate variability and change due to high levels of exposure of local fisheries to physical climate effects, economic dependence on the fishing industry (sensitivity), and poor adaptive capacity (the extent to which effects of change can be offset). This article briefly reviews the major mechanisms by which fisheries for pelagic resources in SIDS are exposed to climate variability and change, including changes to catchability, stock productivity and redistribution of stocks. It then examines recent institutional changes in fisheries industrial and trade policy at various scales as concurrent critical elements in the adaptive capacity and exposure/sensitivity of SIDS. We argue for a better understanding of the connections between environmental and socioeconomic change (and proximate indicators of these dynamics) to improve the adaptive capacity of SIDS. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.