Global wildlife populations have fallen by 73% since 1970, but bluefin tuna explosion off Britain proves nature CAN recover

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

WWF's Living Planet Report 2026 warns that monitored animal populations worldwide have collapsed by an average of 73% since 1970, with Latin America and the Caribbean recording a devastating 95% decline in land and freshwater wildlife over the same period. WWF-UK's chief scientific adviser Mike Barrett insists it is "not too late", pointing to dramatic conservation wins as proof that collapse is not inevitable. The report, covering nearly 36,000 animal populations across more than 5,000 species, identifies food production as the critical next battleground if biodiversity collapse is to be averted.

Bluefin tuna have staged what Hannah Rudd of the Angling Trust calls an 'explosion' off British waters after vanishing by the 1960s.

Wild tiger numbers have risen more than 70% since 2010, climbing from around 3,200 to roughly 5,700 by 2025.

After 50 years of conservation efforts across 80 countries, the green sea turtle was downgraded from 'endangered' to 'least concern' — the first marine turtle to achieve that status.