Impacts of Climate Variability on Latin American Small-Scale Shellfisheries

Small-scale fisheries play a vital role in food security and poverty alleviation in Latin America. These fisheries are being increasingly threatened by anthropogenic and climatic factors acting at different spatial and temporal scales. Recent results documenting the effects of climate variability on small-scale shellfisheries in Latin America are reviewed. The joint effects of two additional forcing agents are discussed: the globalization of markets and governance. Significant effects of climate variability (e.g., sea surface temperature anomalies) on small-scale fisheries were observed, which vary according to the life cycle of the species involved, the geographical distribution of the target species and the oceanographic characteristics of each region. Climatic variables, acting in conjunction with economic factors, have increased depletion rates of shellfish stocks. The need to improve governance and management systems to meet the growing uncertainty generated by the impacts of climate change and globalization of markets is highlighted.