This study examines the effect of climatic change (in terms of rising sea surface temperatures - SST) on the redistribution of skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans from 1993 to 2022. The analyses reveal significant poleward shifts in tuna distribution in the Atlantic driven by warming waters, while in the Indian Ocean, a contraction towards the equator is observed in the most recent decade. SST increases are associated with decreased catches in the Atlantic, whereas skipjack catches increase in the Indian Ocean. These changes probably have ecological implications affecting marine food webs, and socio-economic consequences, impacting fisheries-dependent communities and potentially exacerbating existing inequities. The findings underscore the need for adaptive fisheries management strategies and further research to understand regional variability in species responses to climate change.
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