Global marine fisheries: sustainability rising, challenges persist

The FAO report ‘State of World Marine Fishery Resources – 2025’,  released at the UN Ocean Conference, presents the most detailed assessment of global marine fisheries. It shows 64.5% of stocks are sustainably fished, with notable success in the Pacific and Antarctic regions. However, challenges remain in areas with weak governance. While tuna stocks are mostly sustainable, deep-sea species and sharks face risks. The report calls for urgent action, data investment, and science-based policies to ensure resilient and sustainable fisheries globally.

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) unveiled a new report at the UN Ocean Conference, delivering the most detailed and data-rich analysis so far on the health and sustainability of global marine fisheries.

The report titled The State of World Marine Fishery Resources – 2025, reviews the biological sustainability of 2,570 individual fish stocks—an unprecedented number and a significant leap from previous assessments. It reflects contributions from over 650 experts from over 200 institutions across more than 90 countries, showcasing a globally collaborative effort to better understand marine fisheries.

Key findings of the report

1. Global Sustainability Status: The report reveals that 64.5% of marine fish stocks are fished within biologically sustainable levels, while 35.5% are classified as overfished. However, when evaluated by Production levels, 77.2% of global fish landings come from sustainable stocks, indicating that while some stocks are over-exploited, the majority of fish caught come from better-managed fisheries. 
2. Regional disparities in management and outcomes: The data shows a stark contrast between well-managed and underperforming regions:

• Northeast Pacific (Area 67) and Southwest Pacific (Area 81) stand out as success stories, where robust and long-term fisheries management systems have resulted in 92.7% and 85% sustainability rates respectively. Notably, these areas account for 99% and 95.7% of their regional landings.
• In the Antarctic regions (Areas 48, 58, and 88), 100% of assessed stocks are sustainable, a remarkable achievement for a newly assessed region. These fisheries, though small in volume, highlight what is possible through international cooperation and ecosystem-based approaches.
• Conversely, in the Southeast Pacific (Area 87) and Eastern Central Atlantic (Area 34), only 46% and 47.4% of stocks, respectively, are fished sustainably. These areas often face weak institutional capacity, fragmented governance, and lack of data, limiting effective management. Yet, fisheries in these regions are critical for food security, livelihoods, and poverty reduction.
• The Mediterranean and Black Sea (Area 37) offer a mixed picture. Only 35.1% of stocks are sustainably fished, but signs of recovery are emerging: fishing pressure has dropped by 30% and biomass has increased by 15% since 2013, suggesting that regional cooperation and national efforts are starting to yield results.

Marine species Trends

The report highlights that among the 10 most caught marine species—including anchoveta, Alaska pollock, skipjack tuna, and Atlantic herring—60% of assessed stocks are sustainable, and 85.8% of landings (weighted by volume of production) come from sustainable sources. 

Tuna and tuna-like species are a major success story, with 87% of assessed stocks and 99% of landings from sustainable sources.

However, deep-sea species remain at high risk. Only 29% of these stocks are sustainably fished, a reflection of their biological vulnerability and the challenges of managing fisheries in deep, remote environments. Highly migratory sharks, often caught as bycatch in tuna fisheries, also face threats. 

Although 57% of the assessed stocks are considered sustainable, inconsistent international management remains a significant barrier to recovery efforts.

The report emphasizes that science-based fisheries management is the most effective tool for conserving marine ecosystems and ensuring long-term resource sustainability. Areas with strong institutions, comprehensive monitoring, scientific integration in decision-making, and adherence to precautionary and ecosystem-based principles perform significantly better.

Remaining Challenges

Despite progress, the report underscores that overfishing continues to rise globally at a rate of around 1% per year, and the gap between well-managed and poorly performing regions is widening. Many small-scale fisheries are under-represented in global data due to insufficient coverage of landing sites, resulting in uncertainties that can hinder effective policy interventions.

The report calls for urgent investment in data systems, institutional capacity-building, and science-based management, particularly in developing regions. Aligning national efforts with FAO’s sustainability targets will be critical in reversing negative trends.

Mr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General, emphasized that the current report offers the clearest picture yet of the world’s marine fisheries. He urged governments to act on the evidence by scaling up effective strategies and urgently addressing areas of concern. He highlighted FAO’s Blue Transformation initiative as the blueprint for future action. The initiative aims to build efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable aquatic food systems to better serve a growing global population, enhance nutrition, and support livelihoods.

In conclusion, while major progress has been made, especially in certain regions and species, substantial challenges remain. The global community must act decisively to close governance and capacity gaps, enhance data collection, and implement science-based policies. The report provides the tools and insights necessary—what remains is for governments and stakeholders to act on them.