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Fish Market in New York |
According to a recent report released by the environmental organization WWF, fish species are increasingly threatened by rising temperatures in rivers and lakes, a consequence of climate change.
The report, titled “Are We Raising Fish in Hot Water?,” explains that as water temperatures rise, they contain less oxygen, making it increasingly difficult for fish species to reproduce.
Katherine Short, the fisheries manager for WWF’s marine program, stated that fish are dying en masse due to overfishing and environmental pollution. The growing impacts of global warming inevitably lead to ecological imbalances.
According to Ms. Short, it is essential to protect fish species because they are a vital biological resource, a source of food, and an invaluable economic benefit. Rising temperatures will affect the reproduction of certain fish species. Additionally, some species, such as salmon and sturgeon, will be unable to spawn if temperatures become too high. Fish are also at risk of suffocation in excessively warm water environments, as higher temperatures lead to decreased oxygen levels.
In light of this situation, fish species are increasingly migrating toward cooler water areas, which will have severe negative impacts on other species that rely on fish as their primary food source.
This report was issued one week before parties convened to discuss the Tokyo Protocol in Montreal. Therefore, WWF has called on all countries to further reduce their CO2 emissions.
Stephan Singer, WWF’s climate program manager in Europe, warned: “We have not succeeded in significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions while billions of people are relying on it as their food sources are increasingly being destroyed.”
