How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific
Summary
Kiribati earns most of its government money by selling licenses to foreign fishing boats to catch tuna in its large ocean area. Climate change is warming the Pacific Ocean waters, which could push tuna to move away from Kiribati’s waters, threatening the country’s main source of income.Key Facts
- Kiribati is a small island country with a huge ocean area called an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where it controls fishing rights.
- Over 70% of Kiribati’s government revenue comes from selling tuna fishing licenses to foreign fleets.
- The EEZ covers more than 3.4 million square kilometers, larger than India.
- Tuna in the Pacific Ocean are valuable, with the global market worth over $44 billion annually.
- Kiribati relies on license fees from countries like Japan, China, the US, and the EU.
- Rising ocean temperatures due to climate change might cause tuna to move to cooler waters east of Kiribati.
- If tuna leave Kiribati’s area, demand for fishing licenses could drop, hurting Kiribati’s income.
- Tuna react to tiny changes in water temperature, so even small warming can cause them to migrate.
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