Global wildlife population may fall 67% by 2020

The global wildlife population could fall by an average of 67 per cent between 1970 and 2020 as a result of human activities, according to World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Report 2016.

The report indicated that the global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles have already declined by 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012.

"This places the world on a trajectory of a potential two-thirds decline within a span of the half-century ending in 2020," said the report.

The report also highlights the magnitude of human impact on the planet and highlights the changes needed in the way society is fed and fuelled.

According to the report, the top threats to species were directly linked to human activities including habitat loss, degradation and over exploitation of wildlife.

The report's findings provide additional evidence that the planet was entering completely unchartered territory, including a possible sixth mass extinction.

"Researchers are already calling this period the Anthropocene -- an era in which human activities are influencing changes in the climate and the environment," said the report.

--IANS

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