Stone tidal weirs are the most vulnerable against global climate change. Recent field surveys and participant-observations of them prove that many stone tidal weirs have been abandoned or simply left broken, owing mainly to ocean environmental change. If sea levels rise more than 1 meter, all stone tidal weirs on the earth do not function as fishing gear. Once they are destroyed by storms or high waves, some coastal communities cannot afford to repair them, leaving simply them abandoned. All over the world, indeed, the underwater cultural heritage of stone tidal weirs is in danger of closing down, as cultural heritage as well as traditional fishing gear. For the purpose of understanding their vulnerability properly, the assessment of long-termed tidal range changes around stone tidal weirs, the measuring of coastal erosions faced by them, and the impact monitor of typhoons or high waves which destroy stone tidal weirs have been conducted, occasionally by help of remote sensing data.
The university networks allows to raise awareness on the issue and provide research-based evidence.
Many national governments do not recognize stone tidal weirs as underwater cultural heritage or even as fishing gear, mainly because in their mind gears are modern fishing boats or nets owned by professional fishers. Stone tidal weirs are often owned by people living in coastal communities, not by fishermen, against whom especially global climate change would cause havoc.
Unless local or national governments recognize stone tidal weirs as cultural heritage, there is no way they could become interested in their vulnerability against the global climate change. It really is essential that multiple stakeholders, including policy makers, social scientists such as anthropologists, natural scientists such as oceanographers, environmentalists, NGO or NPO partners, or local people, work together on this matter.