The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched its most comprehensive and participatory global assessment of marine fish stocks to-date. Including contributions from more than 650 experts from over 200 institutions and 90 countries, the report was unveiled at year’s UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 25).
FAO’s Review of the state of world marine fishery resources - 2025 reports on the biological sustainability of 2,570 individual fish stocks, a major increase from previous editions. It finds that some of the world’s marine fisheries are recovering under strong, science-based management, but many others remain under pressure.
Stating that “effective management remains the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources”, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said: “This review provides an unprecedentedly comprehensive understanding, enabling more informed decision-making based on data,” he said. “This report gives governments the evidence they need to shape policy and coordinate coherently.”
Several ministers participating in the UNOC launch event echoed the Director-General’s view. Paubert Tsimanaoraty Mahatante, Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy of Madagascar, said the report gives policy makers the key ingredients for their work: information, data and numbers, without which proper fisheries management is impossible.
Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment of Palau, stressed the importance of fisheries as a crucial source of livelihoods and food security, saying the report provides gives the means to manage these resources well, without which, livelihoods could be lost.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua, applauded the report as a major collective effort, adding that only such comprehensive data and information could support effective and sustainable fisheries management.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, stated: “This conference, and specifically this report, are powerful reminders of the importance of the multilateral system and of the role of the UN agencies to identify challenges and opportunities for the benefit of all.”
David Agnew, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, said: “This is the event of the year. Anybody who know how much effort is needed to carry out a single analytical stock assessment can appreciate the amount of work needed to carry out more than 2,000 assessments and compile their results into a comprehensive and structured report like this one. The report also includes uncertainty, which is crucial to design monitoring programmes and provide capacity to those areas in need.”
Dongyu noted that the organisation has been reporting on the state of world fishery resources since the early 1970s. This has helped to steer global fisheries towards sustainability, supporting informed decision-making and influencing policy developments.
“The fisheries landscape has evolved since the 1970s – shaped by new technologies, changing resources, and in how we use, manage and value fish stocks,” Qu noted, adding that data collection has advanced, including the integration of Indigenous and traditional knowledge.
He said the use of artificial intelligence has expanded the ability to assess more stocks, more accurately, and also that there has been a growing need to better represent the diverse realities of fisheries worldwide – from how fish stocks are harvested and managed, to how sustainability is achieved.
This updated Review by FAO “brings together the latest science, technology, and on-the-ground expertise from across the globe, providing a more complete, and inclusive picture of the state of the world’s marine fishery resources,” he said.
Dongyu also described the report as a testament to FAO’s commitment to Blue Transformation – a vision that guides the development of aquatic food systems, and serves as a lead example of how to gather, analyse, and share knowledge.
Analysing trends across all FAO marine fishing areas, the report confirms 64.5% of all fishery stocks are exploited within biologically sustainable levels, with 35.5% of stocks classified as overfished. When weighted by their production levels, 77.2% of the fisheries landings globally come from biologically sustainable stocks.
In marine fishing areas under effective fisheries management, sustainability rates far exceed the global average. In the Northeast Pacific, for example, 92.7% of stocks are sustainably fished.
The assessment determines that nearly two-thirds of marine stocks are fished within biologically sustainable levels globally and in recent years overfishing has been rising by about 1% per year on average. In addition, the gap between well-managed and underperforming areas remains stark.
In the Northeast Pacific (Area 67) and Southwest Pacific (Area 81), long-term investment and robust management frameworks are paying off. Sustainability rates of all individual stocks reach 92.7% and 85% respectively, and these stocks are responsible for an estimated 99% and 95.7% of the 2021 landings in these regions.
In the Antarctic (Areas 48, 58, and 88), 100% of the stocks assessed are fished sustainably. This is the first time this region has been included in this report, and while small in volume these fisheries demonstrate what is possible with ecosystem-based management and international cooperation.
The Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Area 37) show early signs of recovery. Although only 35.1% of stocks are sustainably fished, fishing pressure has dropped 30%, and biomass has risen 15% since 2013 thanks to regional cooperation and national efforts.
However, not all areas are on track. In the Southeast Pacific (Area 87), only 46% of stocks are sustainably fished, while the Eastern Central Atlantic (Area 34) stands at 47.4%.
Among the 10 most landed marine species, including anchoveta, Alaska pollock, skipjack tuna, and Atlantic herring, 60% of assessed stocks are sustainable. When weighted by their volume of production, 85.8 percent of landings are estimated to come from biologically sustainable stocks.
In terms of species, tuna stand outs, with 87% of assessed stocks sustainable, and 99% of landings coming from sustainable sources, showing what can be achieved by the application of science-based policies, regulatory measures, and compliance systems.
But not all species are doing as well. Deepsea species remain vulnerable, with only 29% of stocks sustainably fished. The report also flags concern over highly migratory sharks, often caught as by-catch in tuna fisheries. While 57% of stocks assessed are sustainable, lack of consistent international management continues to hinder recovery efforts.
“The next step is clear: governments must scale up what works and act with urgency to ensure marine fisheries deliver for people and planet,” the Director-General said. “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.”
