Fish stocks are moving away from warmer waters and crossing national boundaries which is disrupting the world’s system for allocating fish. Researchers focused on 892 fish stocks around the world and noticed they were moving closer to the poles. They suggested that the warmer waters from climate change were the driving force behind the relocation of fish stocks. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise as they are today, then 70 or more countries will have completely new fish stocks by 2100. Fish will move to their preferred habitat, so political boundaries mean nothing to them.

As for humans, this means there needs to be updated management of fish stocks; therefore treaties can fairly be made and agreed upon. Countries have disputed over fish stocks in the past. In the 1980s and 1990s, Canada and the United States argued over salmon stocks after they migrated north to colder waters. The dispute lasted six years before the countries entered a new joint management agreement. The current fish boundaries are set up with the idea that these fish stocks generally stay in their current environment. However, scientists are noticing that climate change is warming the waters to a point where fish are no longer staying in those pre-dispositioned areas.  Governments should tackle the problem before worldwide disputes begin to take place.