Many European fish populations are on the move due to warming oceans and increasing numbers shows new international study
A new study, recently published in the journal Ecography, has shown that fish populations in the Northeast Atlantic are moving northwards, and species which were once limited to southern European waters, like hake, have expanded the area they occupy, whilst species found in northern European waters, such as cod, have also shifted farther north.
These shifts in distribution are partly due to warming seas and partly due to the recovery of some species following reductions in overfishing. In particular, fish stocks from the south, such as anchovies, horse mackerel and sole, have expanded and/or moved into the North Sea, the Baltic and west of Scotland because these waters are now warmer.
The study was conducted by an international team of scientists and had participation of scientists from DTU Aqua. It was led by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, and the University of Aberdeen.
Read the full press release about the results on the University of Aberdeens webpage
Read the scientific article in Ecography: Changing fish distributions challenge the effective management of European fisheries