According to a new study, the vast majority of the world’s oceans are damaged by human activity. The areas that are currently intact are mostly in the remote Pacific and at the poles and they need protection from fishing and pollution, the scientists noted.
Namely, only 13% of the world’s oceans is untouched. These are mostly concentrated in the Pacific and the poles. Besides these areas, almost no ocean is left accommodating high levels of marine wildlife.
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Increasing fishing fleets, the shipping industry and land based pollution along with the climate change are damaging the oceans, as 5% of the remaining ocean wilderness remains within existing marine protection areas.
For this reason, a high seas conservation treaty is needed, the scientists mentioned. They also added that the $4bn a year in government subsidies spent on high seas fishing must be cut.
The new research was published in the journal Current Biology and classified areas of ocean as wilderness if they were in the lowest 10% of human impacts. However, many of these areas are now in danger.
Specifically, Arctic wilderness areas protected by ice cover in the 1970s. But now, the ice begins to melt allowing fishing boats to access them. If this situation continues, along with the global warming, the majority of the oceans is going to be under increasing risk.
The study concentrated on the ocean floor, and did not include affects on the water column above it. It also supported calls for a global ocean conservation treaty.
You can the study in the PDF below
