Climate change effects on fisheries-dependent communities of coastal Brazil

The effects of climate change on Brazilian fisheries will be explored based on three sources of information: (1) a scientific literature review, (b) in-depth studies on the perceptions of small-scale fishing communities, and... [ view full abstract ]

The effects of climate change on Brazilian fisheries will be explored based on three sources of information: (1) a scientific literature review, (b) in-depth studies on the perceptions of small-scale fishing communities, and (3) the outcomes of a multilateral project under a Belmont Forum call with intra- and inter-national experts from different disciplines. Projections of climate change effects have shown that coastal Brazil will suffer increased impacts from large, meso and micro-scale ocean processes, as well as on fisheries productivity. Fisher's perceptions include sea-level rise and coastal erosion, shifts in wind patterns and fish distribution, alterations in livelihoods and housing infra-structure. Contributions of Project GULLS (Global understanding and learning for local solutions: reducing the vulnerability of marine-dependent communities) go beyond ocean models projections and fisher's perception, and included the construction of a social vulnerability framework and analysis, ecological sensitivity assessments, stock models, policy analysis, and education workshops. This paper aims at summarizing the main outcomes from GULLS in Brazil, highlighting the effects on community conservation and further perspectives.