By: Hadeer Elhadary
As global leaders and ocean advocates gathered at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, a new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) delivered a critical warning: over a third of the planet’s marine fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels. The announcement, made midweek at the historic Port Lympia, cut through the optimistic air of policy panels and climate pledges with a clear call for urgent action.
The statistic—35% of global fish stocks being overfished—was presented during a dockside press conference by Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General. His message was stark: human activities are placing mounting stress on the ocean, but with proper management, recovery is not only possible—it’s already happening in some regions.
“To use a banking analogy,” Barange told UN News, “we’re withdrawing more than the interest. We’re depleting the capital.”
The newly released Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources 2025 is the FAO’s most extensive analysis to date, based on data from 2,570 marine fish stocks. It paints a nuanced picture: although 35% of stocks are being overexploited, 77% of the world’s fish consumption still comes from sustainably managed sources—thanks largely to effective, science-based fisheries management.
“Management works,” Barange emphasized. “We know how to rebuild fish populations.”
A Patchwork of Progress
The report highlights stark regional contrasts. On the Pacific coasts of the U.S. and Canada, over 90% of fish stocks are fished sustainably. Australia and New Zealand report more than 85% sustainability, and the Antarctic, under tight international regulation, achieves full sustainability.
But in northwest Africa—from Morocco to the Gulf of Guinea—more than half of fish stocks are overfished, with minimal signs of recovery. Conditions are even more alarming in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, where 65% of stocks are unsustainable. Nonetheless, the reduction of fishing vessels in the Mediterranean—down by nearly a third over the past decade—offers cautious optimism that policy reforms may be taking hold.
Barange points out that rebuilding fisheries depends not only on sound policy but also on the resources to enforce it. “Science-based management is costly. Some regions lack the infrastructure, institutions, and monitoring systems required to make it work,” he said. “We need to support these regions—not to blame, but to build capacity where it’s needed most.”
Recovery Stories: Tuna and Beyond
One of the most compelling examples of successful recovery is tuna. Once severely overfished, 87% of major tuna stocks are now considered sustainably fished, and 99% of the global tuna market comes from these sources. This turnaround, Barange said, is the result of serious investment in monitoring, compliance, and international cooperation.
FAO’s report is expected to influence marine conservation strategies well beyond the conference in Nice. The agency has been working closely with 25 regional fisheries management organizations to promote accountability and reform, with the hope that these models can be replicated globally—if backed by political will.
Linking Oceans to Livelihoods
Negotiations have concluded on the political declaration to be adopted at the end of UNOC3. This declaration, part of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, is aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which commits nations to protect 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans by 2030.
With temperatures rising along Europe’s vulnerable southern coast, the conference also spotlighted the social dimensions of ocean health—especially for the estimated 600 million people worldwide who depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Many small island and coastal nations rely on aquatic species as a primary protein source.
“We’re not apart from the ocean,” Barange concluded. “We’re a part of it.”
As the summit moves toward its conclusion, the FAO’s message remains firm: despite the alarming numbers, sustainable recovery is within our grasp—if we act now.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared during the opening of the conference, “What was lost in a generation can return in a generation.”