Causes for the loss of biodiversity:
As explained earlier, the primary cause for the loss of biodiversity is deeply rooted with the growing human population. This research will try to dissect some key causes that lead to the reduction of biodiversity. Some key factors that are intertwined with this loss of biodiversity tend to be grouped in key categories. By dissecting and understanding the roles that pollution, competition, and commercial fishing have on the loss of aquatic biodiversity, we can further our understanding and identify the pressures that a certain factor implies the state of the environment, its impacts and appropriate response measures (Moyle, 1992).
Pollution
Pollution affects us all on a daily basis. The growing population is putting tremendous pressure on the environment as our bodies of water are being squeezed by human activity. This means that the quality of water is being reduced. When waters are heavily polluted, it has a direct effect on the different fish species and aquatic organism. An example can be taken in the form of acid rain. As a consequence of increased pollution, acid rain directly puts additional stresses on fishes and organism. As the water quality reduces, fishes must try to adapt in their new environment because of the reduced oxygen levels. Pollution takes shapes in numerous forms, which will be discussed.
Industrial pollution is a key contributor to the amount of pollution discharged into our waters. On a daily basis, staggering amounts of pollutants and contaminants enter the waters. According to the world life organization, by 2000, the world’s chemical production had increase 400 fold since 1930” (UN, 2014). This leads to chemicals becoming ingested and absorbed by both animal bodies and humans. The chemicals that continue to persist in our environment have drastic effects on both wildlife and people, as it can influence and interfere with an organism DNA. Furthermore, is the process called biomagnification (UN, 2014). When an abundance of toxic chemicals enter our waters and environment, animals and organisms may absorb them or ingest them. In relations to biomagnification, this means that animals that are positioned higher in the food chain are likely to have high levels of chemical toxins in their bodies (UN, 2014). This is a concern because as there is an increase in the levels of toxins, there is an increase risk that an organism will suffer from genetic mutation and defects (UN, 2014).
In order to meet the expectations set out by the 2050 Footprint Goal, “ an aim that by 2050 humanity’s global footprint will stay within the planets capacity to sustain life and that natural resources will be shared equitably”, the WWF is currently trying to promote new ways to achieve sustainable living by inspiring local conservation ( UN, 2014). By educating citizens and highlighting the important role that we as humans play on the environment, perhaps this goal may be achievable. However, with all things being equal, as the population grows, it may be unlikely that “natural resources will be shared equitably” (UN, 2014).
Competition
This section highlights the role that humans have on the loss of biodiversity in aquatic organism. Humans have always been “successful competitors for water with fish” when they withdraw water from sources in order to satisfy the growing population” (Moyle, 1992). Through the different extraction practices, competition for water is mostly used for irrigation and urbanization. These practices affect the ways of life for fish and other aquatic organisms. An example can be seen in the case of Kansas. When the population grew, there was an increased demand for groundwater for irrigation. The withdrawal of water used for irrigation lead to the loss of fish communities. To highlight this further, Cross and Moss compared the amount of fish species in 1885, to 1995 in a Kansas stream. Of the 24 species collected, Moss makes note that only 7 of the 24 species remained (Cross and Moss, 1987). Competition for water has led to a lot of conflict however; it can also serve as a catalyst for cooperation too.
Overexploitation of Fishing
With an expected population to be more than 9 million people by 2050, the world is now faced with challenges on how to feed this growing population “in the context of climate change, economic and financial uncertainty, and growing competition for natural resources” according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations( FAO, 2014). Overexploitation which is also known as overfishing is defined as “the removal of marine living resources to levels that cannot sustain viable populations” (FAO, 2014). When large amounts of fish are overfished, it threatens different species and can even lead extinction.
Conferring to the report made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2014, the global total capture production was 81.5 million tonnes( FAO, 2014). Presently, the amount of fishing fleets have increased and roughly 25% of the world’s fish stocks are depleted (FAO, 2014). To further highlight effects of overfishing, it is projected by the Food and Agriculture Organization that unless drastic measures are implemented through government intervention, perhaps there will be a collapse in fish stocks within 2048 (FAO, 2014). It is reported that roughly around 90% of predatory fish stocks have already collapsed which means that good governance with good information is critical if this problem were to be solved ( Worm, 2006).
In order to address these drivers, the Food and Agriculture Organization recommends that there needs to be more governance, and rights-based fisheries management systems (FOA, 2014). The FAO also stresses that there is no one solution that will help address and solve all these problems. For instance, there is a difference in governance conditions depending on whether or not that particular government is in developed nation versus a developing country (FOA, 2014). To add on to this idea, the FAO points out that in developing countries, often characterized with poverty argues that they have a greater dependence on substance fishing (FOA, 2014). The decision making processes that are employed by government officials, in order to address overfishing, must take into consideration of all these unequal power balances when trying to find a solution.