UNEP Report Sounds Alarm For All Planetary Fish Stocks, Outlines Multiple Trends Powering Collapse

[hatrack]

MONACO (Reuters) - A deadly combination of climate change, over-fishing and pollution could cause the collapse of commercial fish stocks worldwide within decades, said Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Environment Program.

"You overlap all of this and you see you're potentially putting a death nail in the coffin of world fisheries," Steiner told reporters on Friday on the fringes of a climate conference involving more than 150 nations and 100 environment ministers.

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The report found the most affected areas included those responsible for half the world's fish catch. A slowing of ocean currents as a result of climate change may over the next 100 years interrupt the transport of nutrients to the most valuable coastal fishing zones, and the flushing away of pollution.

In other impacts, Nellemann said he expected more than 50 percent of coral reefs to die by 2050 as a result of rising temperatures, with resulting impacts on tourism. Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels create an acid when dissolved in water, and could over the coming decades make the sea more acidic than at any time in the past 65 million years, and by 2100 could prevent mollusks in some seas from forming shells.

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http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/31618

[jasmine621]

1. This is why the world needs leaders with foresite on eviornmental issues.

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/31618

This is why SCIENCE should be the buzzword for all political movements across the globe. National problems are indirectly related to global environmental problems...jobs, health, reproduction, conflicts, etc. Hillary hit on this but to me she didn't go far enough. We need major pushes in science and reserch...and a new reserach, not the old hat biomedical stuff that has drained billions for taxpayers and fattened the coffers of pharmeceutical companies, the medical professon. We need science coupled with emerging social, economic, and health issues on a global scale.

[jasmine621]

2. More than being "progressive" we need to be "proactive."

Is there any candidate out there looking ahead and out of the box"
We need a progressive, proactive leader who believe in science and human ingenuity. Had we taken Jimmy Carter's advice long ago, our energy and oil problems might not be so grave. Here is what I think we need to be thinking about and forming a national and international effort on instead of more gadgets, toys, clothes, and "stuff." Each one of these areas are related to several important social and economic problems facing us today, namely: education, science, jobs, environment, health, poverty and PEACE.

Water purification and conservation. (needs: quality minds, money, incentives) Ours and the world's water supply requires immediate attention, innovation, and dedication.

Solid waste disposal and conversion to meet energy needs. (national and internationsl)

Infrastructure..bridges, roads, and clean massive transportation systems (rail) linking major metro area across the nation. Rapid rail. (national) Forget the moon and mars and pay attention to earth and under the earth.

Agriculture for food for feeding people..not for making fuel. We waste enough carbon and orgnics to make all the fuel we need if coupled with wind and water energy sources.

Universal, single payer healthcare (national)

We should be able to put the country and half the world to work earning decent wages instead of waging wars over natural resources and land. But it will take some nerve to get into this groove.
I refuse to believe that the only source of massive human labor is in China and India. Africa, with it natural resources in goods and people is an opportunity for the world to benefit from. If only we can turn away from greed, prejudices, the hunger for power. I can't believe that the price of flour has tripled and that soon bread will be too expensive for the average family. Bread and milk will soon become luxuary items. And don't even begin to think about cereal which has been out of sight for the last 10 years. What the hell is wrong with the world that war seems to be its only good paying enterprise? Come on folks, give me some feedback.