0 Edward H. Allison Allison L. Perry Marie-Caroline Badjeck W. Neil Adger Katrina Brown Declan Conway Ashley S. Halls Graham M. Pilling John D. Reynolds Neil L. Andrew Nicholas K. Dulvy 2009 F I S H and F I S H E R I E S 10 173–1 Anthropogenic global warming has signiï¬�cantly inï¬�uenced physical and biological processes at global and regional scales. The observed and anticipated changes in global climate present signiï¬�cant opportunities and challenges for societies and economies. We compare the vulnerability of 132 national economies to potential climate change impacts on their capture ï¬�sheries using an indicator-based approach. Countries in Central and Western Africa (e.g. Malawi, Guinea, Senegal, and Uganda), Peru and Colombia in north-western South America, and four tropical Asian countries (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Yemen) were identiï¬�ed as most vulnerable. This vulnerability was due to the combined effect of predicted warming, the relative importance of ï¬�sheries to national economies and diets, and limited societal capacity to adapt to potential impacts and opportunities. Many vulnerable countries were also among the worldâ��s least developed countries whose inhabitants are among the worldâ��s poorest and twice as reliant on ï¬�sh, which provides 27% of dietary protein compared to 13% in less vulnerable countries. These countries also produce 20% of the worldâ��s ï¬�sh exports and are in greatest need of adaptation planning to maintain or enhance the contribution that ï¬�sheries can make to poverty reduction. Although the precise impacts and direction of climate-driven change for particular ï¬�sh stocks and ï¬�sheries are uncertain, our analysis suggests they are likely to lead to either increased economic hardship or missed opportunities for development in countries that depend upon ï¬�sheries but lack the capacity to adapt.