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Biodiversity cut by a third since 1970

Biodiversity in the world's land and seas has declined by almost a third in the last 35 years, WWF has warned.

The discovery questions how successful governments have been at reducing biodiversity loss, as they pledged in 2002 to do so by 2010.

WWF's Living Planet Index tracks nearly 4,000 populations of species.

It found that land-based, marine and freshwater species fell overall by 27 per cent between 1970 and 2005 and has been attributed in part to climate change.

Marine species were particularly affected, falling by 28 per cent between 1995 and 2005 alone.

Marine birds have rapidly declined by about 30 per cent since the mid 1990s.

Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF-UK, said the downward trend is "alarming" as biodiversity "underpins the health of the planet and has a direct impact on all our lives".

"However, there are small signs for hope and if government grasps what is left of this rapidly closing window of opportunity, we can begin to reverse this trend and move away from three planet living to a one planet future," he added.

The WWF's report was released ahead of the Convention of Biological Diversity in Bonn from May 19th to 30th.

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