Investigating the Economic Impact of Climate Change on B.C.’s Freshwater Fisheries

Authors

  • Mackenzie Miller Thompson Rivers University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe766

Keywords:

climate change impacts, freshwater fisheries, salmonid species, ecosystem services, recreational fisheries economics, Indigenous food sovereignty, freshwater ecosystem stressors, British Columbia

Author Biography

Mackenzie Miller, Thompson Rivers University

Mackenzie Miller is an undergraduate honours student in Natural Resource Sciences at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, Canada. Her academic interests focus on environmental sustainability and natural resource management. Through field research and applied analysis, she is particularly interested in understanding how climate change affects freshwater ecosystems, wildlife populations, and regional resource economies. She plans to pursue graduate studies focused on sustainable resource management and climate resilience in western Canada.

 

References

British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Food. (2022). British Columbia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector: 2022 edition [PDF]. Government of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/agriculture-and-seafood/statistics/industry-and-sector-profiles/sector-reports/four_sector_report_2022_edition.pdf

Cline, T. J., Muhlfeld, C. C., Kovach, R. P., Al-Chokhachy, R., Schmetterling, D. A., Whited, D. C., & Lynch, A. J. (2022). Socioeconomic resilience to climatic extremes in a freshwater fishery. Science Advances, 8(31), eabn1396. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn1396

Dudgeon, D. (2019). Multiple threats imperil freshwater biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Current Biology, 29(19), R960–R967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.002

Flitcroft, R., Cooperman, M. S., Harrison, I. J., Juffe-Bignoli, D., & Boon, P. J. (2019). Theory and practice to conserve freshwater biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 7, 54. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00054

GoFishBC. (2020). Economic impact of recreational fishing in British Columbia: 2020 summary report [PDF]. Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. https://www.gofishbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Economic-Impact-Report-2020-Summary.pdf

Indigenous Fisheries Secretariat. (2021). Compendium of Indigenous socio-economic best practices [PDF]. Indigenous Fisheries Secretariat. https://indigenousfisheries.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Compendium-of-Indigenous-Socio-economic-Best-Practises_March-2021.pdf

Jones, R., Travers, C., Rodgers, C., Lazar, B., English, E., Lipton, J., Vogel, J., Strzepek, K., & Martinich, J. (2012). Climate change impacts on freshwater recreational fishing in the United States. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 18(6), 731–758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-012-9385-3

Lane, D. E., Jones, R. N., Mills, D., Wobus, C., Ready, R., Buddemeier, R., English, E., Martinich, J., Shouse, K., & Hosterman, H. (2015). Climate change impacts on freshwater fish, coral reefs, and related ecosystem services in the United States. Climatic Change, 131(1), 143–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1107-z

Li, X., & Tsigaris, P. (2024a). The global value of freshwater lakes. Ecology Letters, 27, e14388. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14388

Li, X., & Tsigaris, P. (2024b). Lakes in British Columbia. In P. Tsigaris, A. Adewunmi, T. M. Akinosho, M. Butler, A. L. Castro, B. V. Del Rosario, I. Fernando, C. Ikegwu, N. Kunwar, X. Li, S. S. Natea, O. Onasile, S. J. Oudith, S. E. Paul, Y. Rathnayake, & G. Shema (Eds.), The value of lakes around the Secwépemc territory. Thompson Rivers University Open Press. https://thompsonokanaganlakes.pressbooks.tru.ca/chapter/lakes-in-british-columbia/

Marushka, L., Batal, M., Tikhonov, C., Sadik, T., Schwartz, H., Ing, A., Fediuk, K., & Chan, H. M. (2021). Importance of fish for food and nutrition security among First Nations in Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 112(Suppl 1), 64–80. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-021-00481-z

Pacific Salmon Foundation. (2021). Climate change and salmon: Understanding impacts and identifying solutions [PDF]. Pacific Salmon Foundation. https://psf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Download-PDF806-1.pdf

Price, K., & Daust, D. (2016). Climate change vulnerability of BC’s fish and wildlife species – First approximation [PDF]. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/nrs-climate-change/adaptation/climate20change20vulnerability20of20bcs20fish20and20wildlife20final20june6.pdf

Price, K. (2016). Climate change vulnerability and adaptation in freshwater aquatic ecosystems in British Columbia [PDF]. British Columbia Ministry of Environment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/climate-change/adaptation/resources/freshwater_vulnerability_bcmoe_2016.pdf

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Cover image with title: Perspectives on the economics of Climate Change. Special Issue, March 2026, Online ISSN: 2819-7046. Background image taken by Peter Tsigaris of the University of Auckland campus.

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Published

2026-03-17

How to Cite

Miller, M. (2026). Investigating the Economic Impact of Climate Change on B.C.’s Freshwater Fisheries. Future Earth: A Student Journal on Sustainability and Environment. https://doi.org/10.29173/bcelnfe766

Issue

2026: Special Issue: Perspectives on the Economics of Climate Change

Section

Commentaries and Opinions

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