Fisheries Climate Survey Report FINAL - Flipbook - Page 6
The majority (60%) of survey respondents have more than 25 years of fishing experience and are between the
ages of 50 and 70 years old (Table 1), giving them multiple decades of experience to inform their perspective
about fisheries and climate change. Survey respondents also have a diversity of geographic experience
throughout New England and reported New York and New Jersey as their homeport despite being license in
New England (Table 1), providing a range of experience and perspective of how climate change is impacting
fisheries. Other demographics recorded as part of the survey that may impact how an individual experiences
the world included gender identity and tribal affiliation. Of the 418 survey respondents in the Northeast, 22
identified as female and 3 are enrolled tribal members.
CLIMATE CHANGE
BELIEFS
The vast majority (72%) of the 418 New England survey respondents believe climate change is occurring
(Figure 1). Sixty-seven percent of respondents have observed an increase in ocean temperatures and 41% have
observed a decrease in target species catches. The negative impacts of climate change on individuals appears
to be perceived more as a future problem, as a threat to future generations of commercial harvesters (Figure
1). Only 21% strongly agree that climate change will harm them personally compared to the 44% who strongly
agree climate change will harm future generations of harvesters (Figure 1). Despite 45% of respondents
strongly agreeing that climate change is occurring (Figure 1) and over 60% reporting observations of increasing
ocean temperatures, only 28% of survey respondents report that they think climate change has had a negative
impact on their ability to catch fish.
Figure 1. Perceptions about climate change and its impacts on
current and future generations of commercial fisheries harvesters.
6