There isn't enough protected areas to stop biodiversity loss

The ongoing huge biodiversity loss cannot be stopped with the current level of globally protected areas. The currently designated protected areas haven't been able to halt decline of animal and plant species.

What this means is that the urgent reduction in man's ecological footprint is the only way to save many animals and plants from going extinct, at least this is what the new study published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series suggests we should do.

The scientists have calculated that the levels of consumption and population growth mean world will need the productivity of up to 27 Earths by 2050 in order to halt current decline in biodiversity.

In 2010 world nations agree to design more than 17 percent of the world's land mass and 10 percent of the oceans to protected areas. However, even if world achieves this target this won't be enough to halt current level of biodiversity loss.

The scientists suggest that world would need to cover at least 30 percent of the world's ecosystems for protected areas to halt biodiversity loss. This however, given the current levels of expansion is not likely to be realized for 185 years on land and 80 years at sea and on the other hand climate change will likely cause mass extinction within the 50 years.

There are still not enough funds to establish new protected areas. Even currently protected areas need $24bn to proper management of which just $6bn is being spent.