WWF warns of dramatic nature loss; coral reefs in Caribbean Netherlands already in poor condition

KRALENDIJK – Nature in Latin America and the Caribbean is declining faster than anywhere else in the world. The average size of monitored wildlife populations fell by 95 percent between 1970 and 2022. Globally, the decline stands at 73 percent. This is according to the latest Living Planet Report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Although the figures do not apply separately to the six Dutch Caribbean islands, earlier research shows that nature there is also under severe pressure. The condition of the coral reefs on Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius is particularly worrying.

The WWF published the report last week. The researchers analyzed more than 35,800 population trends of nearly 5,800 vertebrate species, including fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

The 95 percent decline does not mean that almost all wild animals in the Caribbean have disappeared. The percentage reflects the average change in the size of the animal populations studied. Some populations have declined sharply, while others have remained stable or even grown.

Even so, according to the WWF, the figures show that ecosystems worldwide are under great pressure. Deforestation, habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution and climate change are among the main causes.

Coral reefs of Bonaire

For the three special municipalities of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius, separate research data are available that illustrate the vulnerability of nature.

According to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), average live coral cover around Bonaire was approximately fifteen percent in 2023. In 2020, it was still almost twenty percent.

The decline is most visible at locations that have been monitored for decades. At Karpata, one of Bonaire’s best-known dive sites, 67 percent of the surveyed seabed at a depth of ten meters was covered with live coral in 1974. By 2023, only 26 percent of that remained.

The deterioration of the reefs is attributed, among other things, to rising sea temperatures, coral diseases, pollution and human activities.

The coral reefs are of great importance to Bonaire. They provide habitats for fish and other marine life, protect the coast from wave action and are a major natural attraction for the tourism sector.

Saba and Sint Eustatius

On Saba and Sint Eustatius, the situation at many of the surveyed locations is even more serious.

According to Statistics Netherlands, average live coral cover around these islands was just a few percent in 2023. For Saba, a decline is reported from about 24 percent in the 1990s to about three percent in 2023.

On Sint Eustatius, coral cover fell from about 22 percent in 1999 to about two percent in 2023.

The figures show how dramatically the reefs have changed in just a few decades.

In the State of Nature Report for the Caribbean Netherlands, published in 2025, researchers assess the historical development of the coral reefs around Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius as highly unfavorable.

According to the researchers, overfishing, pollution, disease and climate change are major causes of the decline. Local differences can be substantial, however. Some reefs are in better condition than others.

No separate figures for the six islands

The new WWF report does not provide a separate overview of nature loss on Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius.

It is therefore not possible to infer from the regional decline of 95 percent how many animals or animal populations have disappeared from each of these islands.

This distinction is important. In the WWF study, the Caribbean is part of a much larger region that also includes Central and South America.

The data on the coral reefs of the Caribbean Netherlands come from separate scientific studies. They are not part of a specific calculation of nature loss across all six islands combined.

Threats to coral reefs and coastal ecosystems are also known to exist on Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten, but the sources consulted do not provide directly comparable island-wide biodiversity figures.

Recovery is possible

Despite the worrying figures, the WWF also sees signs that nature conservation can deliver results.

A key example is the green sea turtle. This species has benefited in several places from long-term protection measures, including the protection of nesting beaches, habitat improvement and a reduction in illegal hunting.

Positive developments have also been recorded for other endangered species, such as bluefin tuna, tigers and elephant populations in southern Africa.

According to the WWF, these examples show that nature loss is not always irreversible. Targeted measures can help populations recover, although results remain fragile as long as the main drivers of nature loss are not addressed.

Consequences for the islands

For the Dutch Caribbean islands, preserving nature is about more than protecting animals and plants.

Healthy coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds play an important role in protecting coastal areas. They provide food and habitats for marine life and support activities such as fishing, diving and tourism.

When these ecosystems deteriorate, the economic and social consequences can also be significant.

The WWF therefore stresses that protecting individual species is not enough. The causes of nature loss must also be tackled, including climate change, pollution and the degradation of natural habitats.

The new report shows that large numbers of animal populations worldwide are still in decline. At the same time, successful conservation programs prove that recovery is possible.

For the six Dutch Caribbean islands, the key question remains how severe the decline of the individual ecosystems is and what measures are needed to prevent further damage.