Climate Change: Where it hurts the most
Fish and Fisheries 10, 173-196 (2009)

One way in which global climate change will significantly cause economic ripples is through the world’s fishing industries. Edward Allison and his colleagues at the World Fish Center investigated the vulnerability of 132 national economies to climate change effects on their fisheries. Allison used three indicators of vulnerability for each country: how drastic climate change will be in the region, how sensitive the economy will be when fisheries falter, and whether the country can adapt well to increased economic hardships. The study found that the countries that were the most economically dependent on fisheries were also the ones least capable of responding to economic stresses. These vulnerable countries were mostly from Africa, northwestern South America, and southeast Asia. Allison suggests that reducing poverty and strengthening the economy goes hand-in-hand with adaptation to global climate change in the world’s most vulnerable countries.