Only 13% of the world's oceans remain untouched by human activity | Inhabitat



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According to a recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, only 13% of the world's oceans are unaffected by human activities, such as fishing and pollution. The study, published in Current Biology and performed in tandem with the University of Queensland, completed the first systematic badysis of the terrestrial oceans and revealed that the only intact parts of the world's waters could be found in protected parts from the Pacific Ocean and around the poles. Even after these studies were conducted in January and February, marine areas of marine wildlife have quadrupled since the 1950s and industrial fishing areas now cover half of the world's oceans. . "We were amazed at how few marine areas remain," said Kendall Jones, senior project researcher at NPR. "The ocean is huge, covering more than 70% of our planet, but we have managed to have a significant impact on almost all this vast ecosystem."

The cause of this human impression is due to the enormous fleets of fishing, shipping and pollution. earth flows. Add all this to the distress caused by climate change, and it is not surprising that we got there. Yet only 5 percent of the remaining wilderness in the ocean resides in marine protected areas.

Related: A Sensitive Map Shows Interactions Between Sharks and Commercial Fishers

"Beyond valuing nature for nature this function in a way that they've always done is really important for the Earth, "said Jones." They maintain the ecological processes that make the climate and Earth system work – [without them] you can begin to see great effects of training with drastic and unexpected consequences. "

In response to growing pressure from scientists to create protection The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides for negotiations for the creation of a treaty in September 2018. The debate will focus on reducing subsidies. over $ 4 billion in fishing by governments around the world According to Jones, fishing "would not be profitable if it was not meant to be tax-free" He added that "the vast majority of marine nature areas could be lost at any time, as technological advances allow us to fish deeper and ship farther than ever before. "

+ Wildlife Conservation Society

+ Current Biology

Via The Guardian

Pictures via Nelly Lendvai and Rey Perezoso

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