{"id":40077010,"date":"2015-09-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/china-dialogue-ocean-staging.darkbluehq.com\/uncategorized\/3338-wwf-marine-life-wiped-out\/"},"modified":"2022-02-10T23:00:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T17:30:27","slug":"3338-wwf-marine-life-wiped-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/ocean\/3338-wwf-marine-life-wiped-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Half of world\u2019s marine life wiped out in just 40 years: WWF"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fish that are a major source of food for billions on the planet have suffered a \u201ccatastrophic\u201d decline of nearly three quarters in the past four decades, according to new research. WWF and the Zoological Society of London said in the Living Blue Planet report<\/a> that over-fishing, pollution and climate change had a major role in the shrinkage of commercial fish stocks, such as Tuna and Mackerel, over the period. “In the space of a single generation, human activity has severely damaged the ocean by catching fish faster than they can reproduce while also destroying their nurseries,\u201d said Marco Lambertini<\/span>, head of WWF International, in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cProfound changes are needed to ensure abundant ocean life for future generations,” he said. \u201cConsidering the ocean\u2019s vital role in our economies and its essential contribution to food security \u2013 particularly for poor, coastal communities \u2013 that\u2019s simply unacceptable,\u201d he added. The report, an updated study of seaborne mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, showed a decline of 49% in the size of marine populations between 1970 and 2012.<\/p>\n

Although over-exploitation is identified as the major threat to ocean biodiversity<\/a>, the study also found that climate change had caused the oceans to change more rapidly than at any other point in millions of years.<\/p>\n

Rising temperatures and increasing acidity levels caused by carbon dioxide are further weakening a system that is already severely degraded through overfishing, habitat degradation and pollution<\/a>, the report added.<\/p>\n

The WWF report recommended several measures to slow the depletion of fish stocks and protect marine species. They are:<\/p>\n