A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change warns that low-income countries, particularly those in the global south, could lose up to 30% of essential nutrients found in seafood due to the effects of climate change. Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada have revealed that this nutrient loss, which includes vital elements like calcium, iron, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, could become a harsh reality in a high-emissions, low-mitigation scenario.
Optimistically, the study indicates that these nutrient losses might be curtailed to around 10% if the world successfully meets the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, which involve limiting global warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius.
Nutrient Loss from Seafood Could Reach 30% due to Climate Change, Study Warns
The adverse effects of climate change on seafood nutrition are particularly hard-hitting for low-income countries in the global south, where seafood plays a central role in local diets and offers a potential solution to address malnutrition. According to William Cheung, the first author of the study and the director of the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF), these regions bear the brunt of climate change’s effects.
The research employed predictive climate models and historical databases related to fisheries and seafood farming to make future projections regarding the availability of critical nutrients in seafood. Researchers focused on four key nutrients abundant in seafood and crucial for human health.
Disturbing Findings
The study reveals that despite increases in seafood farming and fishing for invertebrates like shrimp and oysters, the availability of these key nutrients stagnated from the 1990s to the 2010s. Furthermore, the projections indicate a decline in the availability of all four nutrients from seafood catches in the future.
Among the four nutrients, calcium is expected to experience the most significant decline, with a projected decrease of approximately 15 to 40% by 2100, depending on the emissions scenario. Omega-3 fatty acids are also anticipated to decrease by around 5 to 25%, primarily driven by declining pelagic fish availability.
Disparities Between Tropical and Non-Tropical Regions
Low-income nations in tropical regions, such as Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Sierra Leone, are expected to witness a sharp decline in the availability of all four nutrients by the end of the century under a high emissions scenario. In contrast, higher-income, non-tropical waters like those in Canada, the US, and the UK are likely to experience minimal declines.
The study’s global projections suggest that nutrient availability sourced from seafood will decrease by approximately 4 to 7% per degree Celsius of warming. However, lower-income countries in tropical regions, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the Solomon Islands, are at a significantly higher risk, facing a projected decline of almost 10 to 12% per unit of warming.
Climate Change’s Role in Nutritional Deficits
The research underscores that climate change is a primary driver of this threat and poses a significant risk to seafood farming. As Muhammed Oyinlola, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the UBC’s department of zoology, highlights, this issue leaves us with a growing nutritional deficit.
To address this pressing issue, the study emphasizes the importance of reducing global warming. William Cheung underscores the impact of every degree of warming, emphasizing that minimizing temperature increases can reduce the risks to marine and human life.
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