FAO Marine Fishery Resources Report 2025: Key Findings
Why in the news
FAO presented its 2025 world review of ocean fish stocks while UNOC3 met in Nice, France, covering stock health, sustainability and governance problems.
Key facts
| Group | Finding |
|---|---|
| All marine stocks | 64.5% sustainable; 35.5% overfished |
| Deep-sea species | Only 29% sustainably harvested (slow growth, low fecundity) |
| Sharks (highly migratory, seven species) | 43.5% fished unsustainably, mainly tropical Indo-Pacific |
| Tuna and tuna-like species | Managed sustainably in 87% of cases, credited to RFMOs |
| Mediterranean and Black Sea | Only 35.1% sustainable |
| Eastern Indian Ocean | 72.7% looks good, but species-level monitoring is lacking |
- Northeast and Southwest Pacific show higher sustainability.
- More than 600 experts from 90 nations contributed.
Strengths
- Stronger rules in the Pacific steadied stocks.
- Catch documentation and onboard observers curbed IUU fishing in tuna.
- Clear guidance for sharks, rays and deep-sea fish.
Concerns
- Species such as Orange Roughy regenerate slowly.
- Shark bycatch in tuna fisheries drives deaths in the Indo-Pacific.
- Data gaps in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa.
- Unregulated coastal and artisanal fishing persists around the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Way forward
- Give RFMOs more authority: more observers, electronic catch reporting, binding measures.
- Use ecosystem-based management with climate and biodiversity metrics.
- Invest in data tools, training and cross-border research.
- Enforce WTO-compliant bans on harmful subsidies linked to IUU fishing and overcapacity.
- Expand Marine Protected Areas through co-management with coastal communities.
Exam angle
- Publisher: FAO; venue: UNOC3, Nice.
- Terms: RFMO, IUU fishing, MPA.