The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) has reported a positive shift in the status of tuna stocks, with overfishing declining by eight percentage points.
According to the March 2025 Status of the Stocks report, healthy tuna stocks remain unchanged at 87%, while stocks previously considered overfished have moved into an intermediate level of abundance.
The report highlights significant changes in the status of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna. Its spawning biomass rating has improved from ‘orange’ to ‘yellow’, signalling better stock health. Additionally, its exploitation rate, or fishing mortality rate, improved from ‘orange’ to ‘green’, indicating more sustainable fishing practices.
New for this year’s report is a more detailed explanation of the colour ratings for each tuna stock, offering further context when the ISSF’s ratings differ from those of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMO). Notably, Indian Ocean yellowfin and Pacific Ocean bluefin tuna have ratings that diverge from those provided by RFMO science bodies.
Despite these improvements, some stocks remain in poor condition. Indian Ocean bigeye and Pacific Ocean bluefin are still overfished and subject to overfishing, with no change since the November 2024 report.
Key statistics in the report include that 65% of the 23 major tuna stocks are at healthy abundance levels, and 91% are not experiencing overfishing. The global tuna catch in 2023 was 5.2 million tonnes, with skipjack tuna accounting for 57% of the total.
The Status of the Stocks report is released several times a year and reviewed by the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee for accuracy.
