Ice has been steadily disappearing from the Gulf of St. Lawrence — record low levels were recorded last winter — and federal officials say it could be gone altogether within 20 years.

Officials say it's a clear sign of global warming and it's raising concerns about the effects on the shoreline and on coastal communities around Cape Breton Island.

"You know, we could be wiped out in a couple of years with this warmer water," said Greg Organ, a fisherman in Neils Harbour, N.S.

Climate change has mea…