By Sharon Atieno
With more than a third of global fish stocks being overexploited, sustainable management is crucial to rebuild populations.
This is according to a new report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France.
The Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources 2025, which draws on data from 2,570 marine fish stocks, finds that while 35 percent of stocks are being overexploited, 77 percent of fish consumed globally still come from sustainable sources due to stronger yields from well-managed fisheries.
The report notes that over 85 percent of stocks in the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Antarctic region are sustainably fished while, along northwest Africa’s coast (from Morocco to the Gulf of Guinea), over half of stocks are overfished, with little sign of recovery. The Mediterranean and Black Seas are worse off, with 65 percent of stocks being harvested unsustainably.
“Effective management remains the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources. This review provides an unprecedentedly comprehensive understanding, enabling more informed decision-making based on data,” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO. “This report gives governments the evidence they need to shape policy and coordinate coherently.”
The report finds that among the 10 most landed marine species, including anchoveta, Alaska pollock, skipjack tuna, and Atlantic herring, 60 percent of assessed stocks are sustainable. When weighted by their volume of production, about 85 percent of landings are estimated to come from biologically sustainable stocks.
Tuna and tuna-like species stand out, with 87 percent of assessed stocks sustainable, and 99 percent of landings coming from sustainable sources.
In these areas, a commitment to effective fisheries management – the application of science-based policies, regulatory measures, and compliance systems – has ensured the sustainability of marine fisheries and the benefits they provide, the report notes.
Howevre, deep-sea species remain vulnerable, with only 29 percent of stocks sustainably fished. The report also flags concern over highly migratory sharks, often caught as bycatch in tuna fisheries. While 57 percent of stocks assessed are sustainable, lack of consistent international management continues to hinder recovery efforts.
Despite major advances in data coverage, gaps persist, especially in small-scale fisheries where insufficient coverage of landing sites increases assessment uncertainties. FAO urges countries to invest in data collection and management systems, and science-based approaches, and to close capacity gaps and align sustainability goals, to keep fisheries on track.
“We now have the clearest picture ever of the state of marine fisheries. The evidence shows what works and where we are falling short,” Qu said. “The next step is clear: governments must scale up what works and act with urgency to ensure marine fisheries deliver for people and planet. This is the essence of FAO’s Blue Transformation, a call to build more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable aquatic food systems to increase their contribution to global food security, meet nutrition requirements and improve livelihoods of a growing population.”
