Ocean Security
Oceanic dead zones (from agricultural runoff, particularly livestock), overfishing,
Oceans support life on earth, they are being destroyed
“Oceans are essential for supporting life on Earth and for human well being… their importance cannot be underestimated…
the world’s oceans and seas are changing. Human activities are taking a terrible toll. Marine ecosystems are being damaged by over-exploitation, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing practices and marine pollution. Increased sea temperatures and sea-level rise, caused by climate change, as well as ocean acidification, pose a further threat to marine life, coastal and island communities, and national economies. And yet we all, wherever we live, rely on these oceans and seas for our very livelihoods”
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, 2015
Collapsing ocean currents to trigger catastrophic warming
“Warmer water could interrupt the so-called ocean conveyor belt, the system of global currents that is largely responsible for regulating Earth’s temperature. Its collapse could trigger catastrophically rapid climate changes”
National Geographic, 2015
90% of land warming is caused by ocean warming
“Ocean warming exerts a large influence on the continents: 80% to 90% of warming over land has been estimated to be indirectly driven by ocean warming”
World Bank, 2013
Sea ice extent observations
“Sea ice extent observations (1970 to 2007) and forecast
(2030 to 2100) reproduced using data from the NOAA GFDL model”
Weather Underground, 2015
Sea Levels
Learn about the dangers of sea levels rising.
Ocean Acidification
Learn how ocean acidification reduces biodiversity.
Phytoplankton
Learn about phytoplankton die off.
90% of big fish gone
“Overfishing has wiped out 90% of big fish, since the 1950’s”
National Geographic, 2003
100 Million sharks are killed annually
“One of the most comprehensive studies ever compiled on illegal shark killing brings new startling statistics. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed every year around the world, a number that far exceeds what many populations need to recover”
National Geographic, 2013
75% of tuna and mackerel populations have gone
“Tuna and mackerel populations have suffered a “catastrophic” decline of nearly three quarters in the last 40 years… [The] WWF and the Zoological Society of London found that numbers of the scombridae family of fish, which also includes bonito, fell by 74% between 1970 and 2012, outstripping a decline of 49% for 1,234 ocean species over the same period”
The Guardian, 2015
AVAILABLE FISH BIOMASS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
Fishing subsidies destroy the oceans
“Globally, fisheries subsidies amount to about $35bn per year. Without them, many high seas fisheries would not be economically viable”
Global Ocean Commission
50% of sea life is fed to livestock
“Thirty million tons or 36%, by some accounts as much as 50%, of global fisheries’ catch each year are used to feed livestock”
A Well Fed World, 2009
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CAN ABSORB 100% OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2
“The condition of the world’s fisheries has drastically declined as a result of overfishing”
17% to 22% of catches are thrown back dead or dying
“17% to 22% of what fishermen catch every year is discarded at sea, likely already dead or dying”
Oceana International, 2014
FISHING FLEETS HAVE INCREASED 10X SINCE 1950’S, BUT CATCH IS DOWN 50%
“[Fishing] fleets now fish all of the world’s oceans and have increased in power by an average of 10-fold (25-fold for Asia) since the 1950s. Significantly, for the equivalent fishing power expended, landings from global fisheries are now half what they were a
half-century ago, indicating profound changes to supporting marine environments”
Fish And Fisheries Journal, 2012
1 Trillion fish caught a year
“The most reliable estimates of fish numbers are likely to be those based on average weight data taken from more than one reference. These total 0.43-1.14 trillion and account for 29% of fish capture tonnage. In addition, the lower estimate for multi-species categories with an EMW is likely to be very conservative and totals a further 0.079 trillion for another 7% of fish capture tonnage. Combining these two figures brings the lower estimate for this 36% of capture tonnage to 0.51 trillion. It is concluded that the number of fish caught each year is of the order of a trillion”
The Guardian, 2015
Fish extinction by 2048
“If fishing rates continue apace, all the world’s fisheries will have collapsed by the year 2048”
National Geographic
Don’t eat fish!
“If you want to save the fish just don’t eat them”
James Cameron, 2015
