Four Possible Climate Futures for West Coast Fisheries

Climate change is already taking a toll on West Coast fisheries and fishing communities. The Pacific Fishery Management Council is using a tool called scenario planning to understand what the future might look like and how to respond to change. As part of this process, fishermen and fisheries scientists and managers have created four possible future climate scenarios through which to explore paths forward to prepare and adapt fisheries. Working with biological illustrator Rachel Strader and in collaboration with the Climate and Communities Initiative at the Council, Ocean Conservancy produced these visual representations of the four future climate scenarios.