BIOtheNUMBERS

The Living Planet Index is based on trends in nearly 5,000 populations of 1,686 species of mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian and fish from around the globe.

The global index (Living Planet Index) shows that vertebrate species populations declined by nearly 30% during the period 1970 to 2005.

Humanity’s Ecological Footprint- Human demand on the biosphere more than doubled during the period 1961 to 2005.

 Global Living Planet Index shows an average trend of -28% from 1970 to 2005 in 4,642 populations of 1,686 species.

Temperate Living Planet Index shows a +6% average trend between 1970 and 2005 in 3,309 opulations of 1,235 species.

Tropical Living Planet Index shows a -51% overall trend from 1970 to 2005 in 1,333 populations of 585 species.

Terrestrial Living Planet Index shows an average -33% trend between 1970 and 2005 in 2,007 populations of 887 terrestrial species.

Marine Living Planet Index shows an average -14 % trend over 35 years in 1,175 populations of 341 marine species.

Freshwater Living Planet Index shows an average -35% trend from 1970 to 2005 in 1,463 populations of 458 species.

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Quotes taken from the Nature Conservancy’s 2009 report ‘Shellfish Reefs at Risk: A Global Analysis of Problems and Solutions’

“In most individual bays and ecoregions there has been a >90% loss in oyster reef habitat. In some bays, losses are >99%”

“Globally, 85% of oyster reefs have been lost, making oyster reefs one of the most severely impacted marine ecosystem on the planet”

“In 1864 alone, 700 million European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) were consumed in London, employing up to 120,000 men in Britain to dredge oysters”

“Shell piles in the southwest of France contain over 1 trillion shells apiece”

“Chesapeake Bay reefs are closer to 1% remaining than 10% remaining”

“They [oyster reefs] are functionally extinct with less than 1% of prior abundances remaining in many bays (37% of bays) and ecoregions (28% of ecoregions), particularly in North America, Australia and Europe”

“Nearly half of the assessed shellfish populations were either moderately or highly threatened by overfishing and environmental degradation”

“Oyster reefs are at less than 10% of prior abundance in most bays (70%) and ecoregions (63%)”

“Most wild Ostrea edulis populations in Europe were removed between 100 and nearly 1000 years ago, but in just the past decade (1990s), a wild population in the Gulf of Thessaloniki (Greece) collapsed from more than 1000 tonnes of harvest annually to a point where it is now difficult to find just 60 individual oysters with a dredge”

General stats quoted from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s Final Report: An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century:

In 2001, 23 percent of the nation’s estuarine areas were considered impaired for swimming, fishing, or supporting marine species.

In 2003, there were more than 18,000 days of closings and advisories at ocean and Great Lakes beaches, most due to the presence of bacteria associated with fecal contamination.

Across the globe, marine toxins afflict more than 90,000 people annually and are responsible for an  estimated 62 percent of all seafood related illnesses.

Experts estimate that 25 to 30 percent of the world’s major fish stocks are overexploited.

While coastal watershed counties comprise less than 25 percent of the land area in the United States, they are home to more than 52 percent of the total U.S. population.

On average, some 3,600 people a day are moving to coastal counties, suggesting that by 2015 coastal populations will reach a total of 165 million.

Approximately 80 percent of marine debris originates on land, either washed along in runoff, blown by winds, or intentionally dumped from shore, while 20 percent comes from offshore platforms and vessels, including fishing boats.

In 2000, the ocean economy contributed more than $117 billion to American prosperity and supported well over two million jobs.

Currently, about 30 percent of the nation’s oil supplies and 25 percent of its natural gas supplies are produced from offshore areas

OH FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE had a great post concerning the plight of gorillas (Save the Gorillas!) and she brought to my attention that the United Nations has declared 2009 as the year of the gorilla. To (sort of) piggyback on that topic, I wanted to share some stats on the bushmeat trade as it is a great example of why I started this site…to view the world not just ‘By the Numbers’, but ‘Bio the Numbers’.

1 million metric tons – The amount of bushmeat eaten each year in Central Africa and equal to approximately 4 million head of cattle (WWF).

The bushmeat menu spans insects (45% of take) , mammals (23% of take), birds (20% of take), reptiles, and amphibians (WSPA, 2006)

“27% of recorded mammals, 63% of birds, 61% of reptiles and 35% of amphibianshunted are listed by IUCN as endangered or vulnerable to extinction” (WSPA, 2006)

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In 2002, industrialized nations legally imported 38,500 primates in 2002, and each year the United States imports over 20,000 primates, most of which are used in animal testing laboratories.

World Totals in live animals per year

Primates (38,500 total)
USA – 51%
Japan – 16%
France – 9%
UK – 6%
Canada – 3%
Belgium – 3%
Netherlands – 2%
Germany – 2%
Other – 9%

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In the South Tasman Rise, high seas south of Australia, fishing records show that 1.6 tons of coral was hauled aboard trawling vessels per hour in 1997.  In that year, more than 10,000 tons of coral bycatch was estimated to be captured, but less than 4,000 tons of their actual orange roughy target was caught (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition).

The United Nations Environment Programme recorded more than 4.4 million pounds of coral and sponge bycatch in the Aleutian Islands between 1990-2002.

In September 2008, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization failed to reach an agreement that would protect threatened deep-sea zones, although they partially closed two seamount areas with the caveat that 20% is still open to exploratory fishing (NAFO).

“Orange Roughy, one of the most commercially fished deep-water species. Orange Roughy can live for around 150 years and do not begin to breed until they are around 25 years old, making them extremely susceptible to over-fishing.” (NOAA)

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