Ocean Breathing

INTRODUCTION

For thousands of years, the ocean has provided people with food, livelihoods and economic opportunity. Today, fisheries continue to support communities around the world and provide an important source of protein and nutrition for billions of people.

But fish populations are renewable only when they are given enough opportunity to reproduce and replenish themselves.

Overfishing occurs when fish are removed from a population faster than the population can replace itself over time. If this continues, fish populations can decline, catches can become smaller and the wider ecosystem may begin to change.

Fishing can also affect species that were never intended to be caught. Sharks, seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles and other animals can be captured accidentally as bycatch, while some fishing methods can damage important marine habitats.

Sustainable fisheries aim to balance human use of the ocean with the biological limits of fish populations and ecosystems.

The objective is not to stop fishing. It is to ensure that fishing can continue without exhausting the ecosystems and populations on which future fisheries depend.

WHY IT MATTERS

Seafood is an important source of nutrition. Aquatic foods contribute protein and essential nutrients to diets around the world.

Millions of livelihoods depend on fisheries. Fishing, processing, transport and seafood markets provide employment and income, particularly in many coastal communities.

Fish are part of complex food webs. Removing large numbers of predators, prey or grazing species can change relationships throughout marine ecosystems.

Healthy fish populations can produce sustainable catches. When fishing mortality is kept within biological limits, populations can reproduce and continue supporting fisheries over the long term.

Overfishing can reduce ecosystem resilience. Populations already weakened by excessive fishing may be less able to cope with warming, habitat degradation, pollution and other environmental pressures.

Poor fisheries management can create economic losses as well as ecological ones. Declining populations can require greater fishing effort to catch fewer fish, threatening jobs and food security.

Sustainable fisheries therefore connect conservation with human wellbeing. Healthy ecosystems and productive fisheries do not have to be opposing goals when fishing is effectively managed.

KEY FACTS

FAO reports that 62.3% of assessed marine fishery stocks were fished within biologically sustainable levels in 2021.

The remaining 37.7% were classified as overfished. This proportion has increased substantially compared with earlier decades.

Sustainably managed fisheries can recover. Fish populations can rebuild when fishing pressure is reduced sufficiently and suitable habitat remains available.

Not every fishery is overfished. Conditions differ greatly between species, regions and management systems. Some fisheries are well managed while others remain under significant pressure.

Bycatch is a major fisheries challenge. Fishing operations can unintentionally capture non-target fish, sharks, seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing undermines sustainable management. It can make catches difficult to measure, weaken conservation rules and disadvantage fishers who follow regulations.

Climate change is altering fisheries. As ocean temperatures change, many marine species are shifting their geographic distributions, creating new challenges for fisheries management.

FAO's 2024 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report gives the 62.3% biologically sustainable and 37.7% overfished figures for assessed marine stocks in 2021.

Main Threats

Excessive fishing pressure. When too many fish are removed before populations can reproduce and recover, abundance can decline over time.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Fishing outside established rules can undermine quotas, protected areas and international conservation efforts.

Bycatch. Non-target animals may become hooked, trapped or entangled in fishing gear and can be injured or killed before being released.

Destructive fishing practices. Some fishing techniques can damage coral reefs, seabed habitats and other environments important to marine species.

Loss of nursery and spawning habitat. Coastal development, pollution, bottom disturbance and habitat degradation can reduce the areas fish require during critical stages of their lives.

Climate change. Ocean warming, acidification, oxygen loss and changing currents can alter fish distribution, reproduction, growth and food availability.

Weak monitoring and enforcement. Fisheries cannot be managed effectively without reliable information about catches, fishing effort and population status.

International management challenges. Many fish populations migrate across national boundaries or live in international waters, meaning effective conservation can require cooperation between several countries.

These pressures can interact. A population experiencing heavy fishing may become more vulnerable when its habitat and environmental conditions are changing at the same time.

SOLUTIONS

Set science-based catch limits. Fisheries management should use population assessments and ecological data to determine how much fishing pressure a population can sustain.

Rebuild overfished populations. When stocks fall below sustainable levels, reducing fishing pressure can allow populations to recover.

Reduce bycatch. Changes in hooks, nets, escape devices, fishing locations and fishing seasons can reduce accidental capture of vulnerable species.

Protect essential fish habitat. Spawning areas, nursery grounds, reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves and vulnerable seabed habitats can require special protection.

Combat illegal fishing. Vessel tracking, catch documentation, port inspections, international cooperation and stronger enforcement can make illegal fishing more difficult.

Improve traceability. Better information about where and how seafood was caught can help governments, businesses and consumers support responsibly managed fisheries.

Use ecosystem-based fisheries management. Fish populations should not be managed in isolation. Their predators, prey, habitats and changing environmental conditions also matter.

Adapt management to climate change. As species distributions shift, fishing agreements and management boundaries may need to change with them.

Include fishing communities in management. Fishers often possess extensive knowledge of local ecosystems. Effective management can combine this experience with scientific monitoring and clear conservation objectives.

Sustainable fishing ultimately means taking enough from the ocean to support people today while leaving enough biological capacity for ecosystems and fisheries to continue tomorrow.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO

Choose seafood from well-managed fisheries. Look for credible information about the species, fishing location and fishing method rather than assuming all seafood has the same environmental impact.

Ask where seafood comes from. Restaurants, retailers and seafood suppliers can help make fishing practices and supply chains more transparent.

Avoid highly vulnerable species when sustainable options are uncertain. Some long-lived and slow-reproducing species can be particularly sensitive to fishing pressure.

Reduce food waste. Wasting seafood means marine resources were harvested, processed and transported without providing their intended nutritional benefit.

Support effective fisheries management. Scientific monitoring, enforcement and international cooperation are essential for sustainable fisheries.

Support measures that reduce bycatch. Improved fishing gear and management can significantly reduce unintended harm to marine wildlife.

Learn about local fisheries. Sustainability varies between fisheries. The same species can come from populations managed very differently in different regions.

Support healthy marine habitats. Fisheries depend on ecosystems. Protecting reefs, seagrasses, mangroves, estuaries and seabed habitats also helps protect future seafood production.

Think beyond labels. Certification can be useful, but sustainable fisheries ultimately depend on strong science, transparent management, effective enforcement and healthy ecosystems.

SOURCES

FAO — The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024
Major global assessment of fisheries and aquaculture, including the status of assessed marine fish stocks.

FAO — The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024

FAO — Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
Information on IUU fishing and international efforts to prevent and eliminate it.

FAO — Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

NOAA Fisheries — Understanding Fisheries Management in the United States
Information about stock assessments, sustainable catch limits and science-based fisheries management.

NOAA Fisheries — Understanding Fisheries Management

NOAA Fisheries — Bycatch
Information on accidental capture of non-target marine animals and approaches for reducing bycatch.

NOAA Fisheries — Bycatch

NOAA Fisheries — Climate
Research and management information concerning climate change and fisheries.

NOAA Fisheries — Climate

IPCC — Oceans and Coastal Ecosystems and Their Services
Scientific assessment of climate impacts on marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities.

IPCC — Oceans and Coastal Ecosystems

Overfishing & Sustainable Fisheries