Key Facts on Oceans and Coasts

More than 90 per cent of the world's living biomass can be found in the oceans.
Coral reefs, which rival rainforests in biodiversity, are being destroyed through siltation, coral mining, illegal poaching with explosives and pollution.
More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. In 20 years this number could double to 7 billion.
More than 40 fish stocks are already over-exploited or depleted worldwide.
The total harvest from commercial, subsistence and recreational fishing now exceeds the estimated maximum sustainable yield of 100 million tons per year.
By the year 2000, annual fish supplies may fall short of demand by about 10-15 million tons.
Of all marine habitats, those that are most threatened are in coastal waters, where 90 per cent of the world's marine catch come from.
An estimated 21 million barrels of oil run into the oceans every year from street runoff, ships flushing their tanks and effluent from industrial facilities.
An average of 600,000 barrels of oil has accidentally spilled from ships into the ocean each year over the last decade.
Six countries-the Russian Federation, Japan, Spain, Poland, South Korea and Taiwan-are responsible for 90 per cent of high-seas fishing.