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For Immediate Release
Reduced Numbers of Arctic Cod Due to Global Warming Could Cause Entire Arctic Food Web to Unravel, Put More Strain on Polar Bears and Narwhals
Arctic Cod also an Important Food Source for Larger Arctic Fish
Washington, D.C. -- Global warming could cause a drop in the number of Arctic cod, which are the most important prey species in northern seas and a key component of the Arctic food web, according to the latest chapter of Defenders of Wildlife's global warming series "Navigating the Arctic Meltdown."
The fatty, oily Arctic cod is ideal prey for seals, narwhals and salmon in the Arctic, but global warming could be shaking up the entire food web and starving the cod itself because of shrinking and shifting pack ice. Sea ice, marine plants, plankton and Arctic cod form an inter-related food web that sustains other animals such as polar bears and ivory gulls. Now, however, the delicate process by which the marine plants grow from the sea ice is threatened by global warming.
"Global warming is pulling the rug out from beneath the Arctic's food supply because the survival of many plants and animals depends on the explosive summer bloom of marine plants under the sea ice," says Chris Haney, chief scientist for Defenders of Wildlife. "With more sea ice melting and retreating from shore due to global warming, the plants' bloom cycle is likely to be disrupted, jeopardizing the cod and other species that depend on it. If this happens, the cupboards in the pack-ice kitchen will become increasingly bare to whales, seals and fish that depend on the cod for food."
In Canada, narwhals, the unique tusked whales, feed predominantly on the Arctic cod, so a decline in their population would be a severe blow to the narwhal's food supply. Arctic cod are also important prey to larger fish, including Atlantic salmon, Greenland halibut and Arctic char, which are fished by humans for subsistence and limited commercial uses.
Defenders sees reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a key to reducing the effects of global warming in the long-term in the Arctic and globally. In the meantime, measures can be taken to reduce other pressures on Arctic cod to help reduce the negative impact that global warming may have on them and the entire Arctic food web. The first is to reduce chemical pollution, especially those toxins that build up over time in plants and animals. Past research shows that juvenile Arctic cod are especially vulnerable to toxins and oil spills already taking a toll on the Arctic environment. Cleaning up existing pollutants and ensuring that more spills do not occur is a priority to recovering the Arctic environment, according to this report.
Also of concern is the sustainability of hunting and fishing in the Arctic. Overfishing is already impacting the food supply for predators such as seals and whales and increasingly ice-free waters will open up new potential fishing grounds. Commercial harvests should be closely monitored to ensure that fishing does not reduce Arctic cod numbers or otherwise alter the food supply. Similarly, proposals to increase ship traffic must account for detrimental impacts on Arctic wildlife.
"While it may take up to 100 years to fully reverse the harm we've already done to the Earth's climate, it is our responsibility to step up our efforts to protect wildlife that is being affected by global warming today so our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy wildlife tomorrow," says Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife.
The first five chapters of "Navigating the Arctic Meltdown" and subsequent installments as they become available can be found here.
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Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 500,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
