14 DAY TRIAL // A new report released by environmental group the World Wildlife Fund shows that, over the past few decades, Earth's oceans have experienced a dramatic drop in biodiversity. The worst thing about it? It's all on us.
Thus, the green group argues that this marine biodiversity loss documented in recent years chiefly resulted from human actions such as overfishing and habitat destruction.
True, climate change also had a say in the matter. Then again, it's man-made pollution that's to blame for this phenomenon and so, when all is said and done, it all comes back to us and our unsustainable ways.
“The biggest drivers of these declining trends are from human actions - mainly overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change,” the World Wildlife Fund writes in a statement.
Things are not looking pretty
The environmental groups says that, over the last decades, the population of marine vertebrates inhabiting our planet's oceans has declined by nearly 50%.
This drop was documented between the years 1970 and 2012, the organization goes on to detail.
Besides, it appears that some fish species have declined by almost 75%. Again, overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change were the chief culprits.
This is even more worrying seeing how, in this day and age, around 3 billion people around the world rely of fish as their main source of protein.
What's more, fisheries and aquaculture ensure the livelihoods of 10 to 12% of the globe's population.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, around 1 in 4 species of sharks, rays and skates are now in danger of going extinct in the near future.
Entire ecosystems are collapsing
Apart from fish, other ocean dwellers are in a bit of a hassle too. Coral reefs, mangroves and sea grasses are rapidly declining as well.
These species might not be important to us, but the fact of the matter is they support countless aquatic ecosystems, with 25% of all marine species populating coral reefs.
“The loss of coral reefs would be a catastrophic extinction with dramatic consequences on communities,” the group says.
To safeguard the world's remaining ocean species, the World Wildlife Fund proposes that more protected areas be established all across the globe.
Presently, just 3.4% of the world's oceans benefit from legal protection. The organization argues that, to make a difference, the figure should stand at 30%.
“The ocean is a renewable resource that can provide for all future generations if the pressures are dealt with effectively,” says Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International.