Animal Life

The world's wildlife populations have halved in 40 years.[1] A third of the worlds amphibians, a fifth of all mammals and 70% of all plants are currently under threat of extinction.[2] By 2030 the lions may be gone.[3] 2020 we might lose as much as two thirds of all vertebrates compared to 1970 levels according to WWF.[4]

The oceans are literally the support system for all life on earth.[5] In the oceans we have depleted fish stocks massively. 10 % of the world's coral reefs are estimated to be degraded beyond recovery.[6] WWF estimates that if nothing is done 60% of the world's coral reefs will be lost by 2033.[7] A total loss might occur by 2050.[8] CO2 increases acidity in water which affects carbonate which corals need to create skeletons. Acidification is the greatest threat facing oceans today. Even if we stopped our carbon emissions now, it would be many centuries before the oceans returned to full health.

A 2003 CENSUS of marine life in the Science Newspaper NATURE report says that in little over 50 years, 90% of top predators such as tuna, shark and marlin had been fished from the sea.

CENSUS of marine life predicts that If present trends continue commercial fishing as we know it will have collapsed by the year 2050.[9] The CENSUS reported in 2010 that there was still hope of ensuring the survival of the marine eco-system.[10]

If we are to save the commercially important species of fish that are currently under the threat of extinction we must act with the data we now have. Do nothing and the implications are inevitable the loss of dozens of species of marine fish around the world.[11]

BOTTOM LINE: We cannot afford to lose the oceans.[12]

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29418983

[2] BBZ Horizon, Season 46, Episode 7 - How many people can live on planet Earth?, BBC, 2009

[3] https://www.lionwhisperer.co.za

[4] https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?282691/Worlds-wildlife-could-drop-two-thirds-by-2020-report-warns

[5] BBC Horizon, Season 47, Episode 2 - Death of the oceans?, BBC, 2010

[6] BBC Horizon, 2009

[7] https://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_design_final_131021.pdf

[8] https://phys.org/news/2011-02-world-coral-reefs.html

[9] BBC Horizon, 2010

[10] https://www.coml.org/comlfiles/policy/ENGLISH_Policy_Report_reduced.pdf

[11] BBC Horizon, 2010

[12] Possibly a quote from the Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson