Overfishing threatens a third of global fish stocks, FAO says
More than a third of global fish stocks are being depleted at a pace that is driving down populations, marking a trend that has been getting worse in recent years, according to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The Rome-based United Nations agency found that 35.5 per cent of marine stocks are subject to overfishing, based on the most recent catch data, which uses an improved methodology to assess stocks in 2021.
The findings, unveiled on June 11 at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, make clear that continuing current levels of fishing would have dire consequences, FAO said.
'The proportion of overfished stocks continues to increase at a rate of approximately 1 per cent per year in recent times, which is a significant concern,' the study's authors wrote. 'This underscores the urgent need to strengthen effective management across all fisheries.'
The 500-page document, described as the 'most comprehensive, evidence-based, and community-built assessment' of the status of global fish stocks, spotlights unsustainable human activity at sea, with species such as sharks and rays at risk.
The oceans conference, which ends on June 13 , also addresses how rising sea levels further threaten biodiversity.
Shrinking fish stocks destabilise marine ecosystems, while challenging people's ability to nourish themselves and earn a living, especially in coastal communities. A 2022 FAO report found that 600 million people rely – at least partially – on fisheries and aquaculture, for their livelihoods.
Improved marine management systems and data are helping to make fishing more sustainable in some places.
Areas with strong systems, such as the North-east Pacific and the South-west Pacific, had sustainability rates of 92.7 per cent and 85.5 per cent, respectively, FAO found.
In contrast, only 35.1 per cent of fishing done in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea can be considered sustainable, according to the report.
Funding is also key to replenishing stocks, the authors wrote. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 of 'conserving and sustainably using the oceans, sea and marine resources' is one of the least-funded. Under its fourth target, overfishing should have stopped five years ago, according to the UN. BLOOMBERG
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