January 26, 2026 — The nonprofit financial think tank Planet Tracker released a new report on the impacts of extreme weather on the seafood industry, which concluded that failing to adapt could cost billions, as Seafood Source reported.
How are rising temperatures disrupting the seafood industry?
The report found that if the seafood industry and society in general don’t take substantial action to reduce the risks of rising temperatures, it could cost $15 billion annually by 2050 due to higher ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, acidification, and low oxygen levels.
Depending on pollution levels, fish stocks could decline by up to 21% by 2100, which will impact seafood companies, investors, and the broader economy.
The new report, titled “Catch It Like It’s Hot,” explained how a rise in atmospheric pollution directly affects the seafood industry through factors like shifting currents, delayed spawning, greater disease risk, and higher frequency of algal blooms and marine heatwaves.
In turn, supply chains are affected, infrastructure damage increases, assets are stranded, revenue drops, and more companies close.
These disruptions threaten the economy and society, posing risks to food security, employment, government revenue from fishing, and consumer purchasing power. The effects later cascade through the financial system, impacting banks, insurers, and asset managers.