A new study by the University of British Columbia in Canada suggests that shutting down the high seas fishing industry could increase future catches in coastal areas by 10 percent. The project's researchers say it will help fishermen cope with the lack of fish to catch due to climate change.

WilliamCheung, a professor of Marine and fisheries studies at the University of British Columbia in Canada, points out that many important fish species live in the open sea and coastal areas, and that effective fish management can help fishermen reduce the negative impacts of climate change by promoting sustainable coastal fishing.

The high seas are the ocean beyond the jurisdiction of any one country, covering nearly two-thirds of the ocean surface.

The researchers used computer simulations to create three management scenarios for 30 important fish species in the high seas and coastal areas in 2050:

- Closing the high seas fishing industry;

- International cooperation in the management of the fishing industry;

- Maintain the status quo.

The researchers found that shutting down the high-seas fishing industry could increase coastal countries' resilience to climate change, particularly helping people in tropical countries that depend on fishing for their livelihoods. Climate change will affect the South Pacific, Indo-Pacific, coastal West Africa and western Central America to varying degrees.

"The adaptation of Marine biological systems to climate change could be mitigated or facilitated by shutting down fishing in high seas areas or by severely improving management practices," said Rashid Sumaila, a professor at the Canadian Ocean and Fisheries Institute and one of the study's funder.