IN DEAD WATER The main findings of UNEP's new rapid assessment on the combined effects of climate ch

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Fourth Global Conference on Oceans Coasts
Islands, 7-11 APRIL 2008
RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT
IN DEAD WATER The main findings of UNEP's new
rapid assessment on the combined effects of
climate change, pollution, over harvest and
infestations in the world's fishing grounds
Nellemann, C., Hain, S., and Alder, J. (Eds)
presentation by,Ibrahim Thiaw Director,
Division of Environmental Policy Implementation
(DEPI), United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP)
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Threats to the Marine Environment

• unsustainable fishing- sea bed- open ocean
• climate change- increasing sea temperatures
  gt coral bleaching- extreme weather and
  hurricanes impact coasts- sea level rise-
  slowing down of ocean circulation
• ocean acidification
• marine pollution and coastal development
• infestations of invasive species

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World fish landings are now decreasing for the
first time ever
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More than half of the world fish are caught in
less than 7 of the oceans
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Over half of many fishing grounds are severely
damaged by bottom trawling
After bottom trawling
Before bottom trawling
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More than 90 of the worlds coasts will be
developed by 2050.
Over 200 polluted dead zones discovered in the
last decade.
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Invasive species and infestations are
transported by ballastwater along shipping routes
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And invade damaged, polluted and thus vulnerable
fishing grounds already today
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1979
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2003
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1979
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2003
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As CO2 increase oceans become more acidic in a
short time greater than any experienced for 300
million years
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Deteriorating chemical conditionsfor coral reefs
corrosive
optimal
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More than 80 of the worlds coral reefs will
die in this century if warming continues
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And pollution restrict them in recovering
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Scientists have now discovered one reason why
many fishing grounds have been able to recover
from one or even several of these pressures in
the past
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A special climate driven flushing effect
clean polluted coasts and nutrient-feed deep
sea
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In occasional cold and windy winter cooled
heavier shallow water sinks down at high speeds
and dig giant furrows and canyons
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This flushing is characteristic for almost all
major fishing grounds And climate change may
slow or even stop the ability of the fishing
grounds to recover
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Oceans provide protein to gt 2.6 billion people
and livehoods to hundreds of millions
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CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
Over exploitation
Dead Zones
bottom trawling
Invasives
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The oceans can be blue and fertile
if we diminish CO2 emissions and improve
management practices now