Arctic Fishing Opportunities Expand Due to Climate Change, Study Warns of Sustainability Risks
West Greenland’s fishing industry is poised for transformation, thanks to newly accessible waters created by the effects of climate change. However, a recent study by the University of Strathclyde highlights the urgent need for sustainable fisheries management to avoid overfishing and ecological damage in the Arctic.
Melting Ice Opens New Fishing Grounds
As global temperatures rise, ice coverage along the west coast of Greenland continues to decline, revealing previously inaccessible fishing zones. This shift presents new opportunities for large-scale trawling vessels, potentially extending the Arctic fishing season and boosting economic returns.
The study, published in the journal Fisheries Oceanography, projects that fishable waters in the region will expand by 6.2% by the 2040s and 11.4% by the 2090s, compared to the 2010s. But with increased access comes the threat of overexploitation and higher carbon emissions from intensified trawling activities.
Economic Growth vs. Ecosystem Health
Lead researcher Matthew Hatton, a Ph.D. student in Strathclyde’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, cautions that Arctic ecosystems are fragile and rapidly changing:
“Climate change is transforming marine ecosystems, opening new fishing possibilities for large-scale trawling vessels in the Arctic. While these changes could enhance economic opportunities, they also raise serious concerns about ecological sustainability, sediment disruption, and carbon release.”
Hatton and his team emphasize the importance of adaptive, long-term management strategies that can balance economic interests with the protection of Arctic marine life.
Machine Learning Predicts Future Fishing Hotspots
Using a maximum entropy modeling technique, the researchers analyzed how environmental changes—like ice thickness, water depth, and ice concentration—affect the future distribution of fishing vessels in Arctic waters.
As ice continues to melt earlier each year, more muddy and sandy seafloors become exposed. These sediment-rich zones, which are high in organic matter, could release significant amounts of carbon dioxide when disturbed by bottom trawling—exacerbating global warming.
Call for Further Research and Sustainable Policy
The study concludes that while climate-driven fishing opportunities are emerging, they must be carefully managed to prevent irreversible harm to marine biodiversity. The researchers also call for more studies to evaluate the broader ecological impacts of increased fishing in newly accessible Arctic zones.
The findings complement another recent study by Dr. Jack Laverick from Strathclyde, which projects that marine biodiversity in Northeast Greenland could rise by over 25%, while polar bear populations may decline by nearly two-thirds due to sea ice loss.
Key Takeaways:
- Arctic fishing grounds off West Greenland are expanding due to climate change.
- Fishable waters could increase by over 11% by the 2090s.
- Economic gains come with ecological and carbon emission risks.
- Sustainable, adaptive fisheries management is essential to protect Arctic ecosystems.
- Machine learning models help predict future trawling zones based on environmental data.
Source:
Hatton, M. et al. (2025). Climate Change Opens Up New Fishing Possibilities for Large‐Scale Trawling Vessels Off West Greenland. Fisheries Oceanography. DOI: 10.1111/fog.12736
Provided by the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow