According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), wildlife populations around the world have declined by more than 70 percent over the past half century. This was reported by Al Jazeera, according to UNN.
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A conservation organization published a report on Thursday on the status of more than 5,000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish, warning that wildlife habitats such as the Amazon rainforest are approaching a “tipping point” that could have “catastrophic consequences” for most species.
The Living Planet report states that the number of 35,000 populations studied has declined by 73% since 1970, mainly due to human impact. The largest declines were recorded in freshwater species, followed by terrestrial and marine vertebrates.
Among the data cited in the report is that the population of pink river dolphins and toucou's dolphins in the Brazilian state of Amazonas has declined by 65% and 57%, respectively, as a result of hunting, and their survival is also threatened by climate change.
In Gabon, the number of forest elephants has declined by 78-81%, and WWF researchers have found “strong evidence” of poaching for the ivory trade. As Gabon is home to almost half of the continent's forest elephants, this decline is considered a “significant loss” for the future of the species.
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The report also finds that habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by food systems, is the biggest threat to wildlife populations worldwide, followed by overexploitation, invasive species and disease.
“It's not just about wildlife, it's about the underlying ecosystems that support human life. Changes can be irreversible and have devastating consequences for humanity,” said WWF Conservation Director Daudi Sumba, citing deforestation in the Amazon as an example of how it can ”turn this critical ecosystem from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
Other threats include climate change, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and pollution, especially in North America, Asia and the Pacific.
The good news is that we have not yet passed the point of no return,
She pointed to global efforts, including a pact adopted at the last UN meeting on biodiversity in 2022, to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 from pollution, degradation and climate change.
Some populations have stabilized or even increased due to conservation and reintroduction efforts, the report says. For example, the European bison disappeared from the wild in 1927, but in 2020 it numbered 6,800 individuals thanks to large-scale breeding and successful reintroductions, mostly in protected areas.