The Ocean's "twilight zone": climate risks at the next fisheries frontier
We have known since the 1970s that the Ocean's vast mesopelagic, or "twilight", zone could contain huge quantities of fish. Technological advancements now make exploitation possible and interest is gr...
Abstract
We have known since the 1970s that the Ocean’s vast mesopelagic, or “twilight”, zone could contain huge quantities of fish. Technological advancements now make exploitation possible and interest is growing—not to provide food, but to be processed into aquaculture feed and nutritional supplements. Yet these fish play a key role in the global carbon cycle and marine food webs, so there are considerable risks inherent in developing commercial fisheries. Scientific knowledge is currently insufficient to support effective management and existing governance mechanisms are ill-equipped to regulate a fishery of such global significance. This blog post introduces the mesopelagic zone and explores some potential avenues for strengthening the international governance framework.
Publication Details
Authors: Glen Wright, Kristina Gjerde, Aria Finkelstein, Duncan Currie
Venue: IDDRI Year: 2020
