In 2020, commercial and recreational fishing activities at sea earned more than 250 billion USD, contributing more than 110 billion USD/year to US GDP and creating 1.7 million jobs for Americans in the field. maritime area.
This shows the significant effects of climate change on the US commercial fishing industry. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse emphasized the importance of acting now to minimize negative impacts in the future.
The senator shared the prediction that if the global economy does not take action to deal with climate change, global GDP will be negative by 178 trillion USD. Conversely, if the net-zero emissions target is achieved by 2050, global GDP could increase by $43 trillion.
Professor Andrea Dutton from the University of Wisconsin-Madison emphasized the key role of fossil fuel burning in driving climate change, increasing CO2 concentrations, causing heat waves and ocean acidification. positive.
The Chesapeake Bay has experienced five consecutive years of failure to ensure bass spawning activities, causing an estimated loss of $7.7 billion to regional GDP.
