New Report from WWF: No Coral Reefs Left at 2050

A new report from WWF about the health of the world’s ocean was published o September 16, 2015. The Living Blue Planet Report provides a very accurate but also very sad picture of the state of the ocean:

• it shows a decline of 49% of marine populations between 1970 and 2012,
• worldwide, nearly, 20 per cent of mangrove cover was lost between 1980 and 2005,
• more that 5 trillion plastic pieses weighing over 250 000 tonnes are in the sea.

“In less than a human generation, we can see dramatic losses in ocean wildlife — they have declined by half — and their habitats have been degraded and destroyed,” said Mr Brad Ack, senior vice president for oceans at WWF.

Climate change and warmer oceans will make the situation worse, although fishing restrictions will be implemented. If current rates in temperature rise continue, the ocean will be come too warm for coral reefs by 2050. In this scenario it’s hard to see a future for Bajau Laut and other people who live on shallow water fishing and gathering.