UN Global Fisheries Report 2025
- The Earth & I Editorial Team
- Aug 19
- 2 min read
Except for Deep-Sea Fishes, Almost Two-Thirds of Fished Populations Sustainable
Global seafood consumption has risen to 162 million tons in 2021—nearly six times the 28 million tons in 1961—according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO’s) latest report in 2024. With a per capita consumption of 20.6 kg (about 45.4 lbs.) per year, this trend raises concern over overfishing. In June, the UN FAO released a review on global fisheries to assess the sustainable use of fish stocks, or “living resources in the community or population from which catches are taken in a fishery” according to the FAO. Below are key findings from the report.
In 2021, 64.5% of fish stocks were fished within biologically sustainable levels, while the remaining 35.5% were classified as overfished.
About 77.2% of the fishery landings (the amount of fish brought back to land from the sea) were estimated to be from biologically sustainable stocks.
However, only 29% of deep-sea stocks were sustainably fished. These kinds of fish, which live at hundreds of feet below the surface and are prized for various cuisines, have low reproduction rates and are susceptible to overfishing.
Deep-sea fish stocks from the Antarctic Area were an exception to overfishing—100% of these stocks are being sustainably exploited.
Of the top 10 species* of desired fish, 60% came from sustainable stocks, while 85.8% of the fish landings were deemed to be from biologically sustainable stocks.
For tunas and tuna-like species, 87% of the stocks were considered sustainable, while 99.3% of their landings were from biologically sustainable stocks.
The Northeast Pacific and Southwest Pacific had high sustainability rates of 92.7% and 85.5%, respectively, given the strong fishing management systems put in place in those regions.
*Alaska pollock, anchoveta, skipjack tuna, Pacific chub mackerel, Atlantic herring, yellowfin tuna, Pacific sardine, European pilchard, blue whiting, and Atlantic cod
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