Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Today the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the National Wildlife Federation announced the release of a new report called “Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World” . According to the report, “[b]y the end of this century, habitat that meets the climate requirements of cold-water species is projected to decline by 50 percent across the United States… [N]ative cutthroat trout are expected to lose an additional 58 percent of their current habitat. As a result, the number of days anglers participate in cold-water fishing is projected to decline by more than 1 million days by 2030 and by more than 6 million days by the end of the century. Associated with the decline in fishing days for cold-water fish is a projected annual national economic loss of as much as $6.4 billion annually by the end of the century, if carbon pollution is not curbed.”
The report, and the specific impacts on Maine and New Hampshire, were presented on a conference call press conference earlier this afternoon:
FMI:
You can read the report “Swimming Upstream: Freshwater Fish in a Warming World” which details the ways in which climate change is impacting the freshwater fish population, and outlines some steps for action at www.NWF.org/FishAndClimate or www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=5637