Scientists and the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) have warned that the North Atlantic heat wave for 2023 may be catastrophic for fish stocks people rely on for food and livelihood.

The ocean’s surface temperature has soared above the previous record since early March, with highs as much as five degrees Celsius above the long-term average.

This is classified as “beyond extreme’’ by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its highest category.

Human-induced climate change has been steadily warming the oceans, which have absorbed 90 per cent of the excess heat produced by greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, natural occurrences such as changes in wind patterns have driven the North Atlantic Ocean’s temperature to record highs, scientists said.

Experts said climate change shifted the temperature baseline, making heat waves more frequent and extreme.

According to the experts, these can be as devastating for some marine life as those on land.

Christopher Free of the Marine Institute at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said: “In the last decade, marine heatwaves have disrupted fisheries worldwide.

“If conditions in the North Atlantic stay hot, similar catastrophes may be on the horizon.’’

Fish in the ocean, between the east coast of North America, the UK, and Western Europe, depended on cooler waters for spawning.

Also, the Norwegian spring spawning herries declined by 40 per cent since 2009 was thought to be due to the warming oceans.

The MCS was concerned that a combination of warming oceans and poor international management would lead to a crash in fish stocks that would put thousands of people out of work.

Olav Sigurd Kjesbu of the Institute of Marine Research in Norway said: “We have already seen that climate affects their distribution, their ability to spawn, and their mortality rates.’’

Geraint Tarling, an ocean biologist at the British Antarctic Survey, said many species are moving north toward the Arctic and replacing native species there in a process known as Atlantification.

Craig Donlon, Head of the Earth Surfaces and Interior Section at the European Space Agency, described this year’s North Atlantic temperature rise as a “scary situation’’.

But added to that, the ecosystem will adapt with species migrating north and being replaced by others from the south.

The UK Government announced its plans last week to begin a large-scale monitoring programme of pelagic trawlers above 24 metres, fitting them with cameras and GPS.

Erin Priddle, the MSC’s regional director for Europe, said: “Policymakers must find a way to incorporate stock shift changes, such as changing distributions of the North East Atlantic pelagic, into long-term and robust fisheries management plans.

“Without joining and effectively planning, our fisheries resources could be put at risk of overexploitation, overfishing, and even stock collapse.”

(dpa/NAN)