July 10, 2018 — A health-check report on world fisheries and aquaculture by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that one-third of global marine fish stocks are now fished at unsustainable levels and have reached “over-fished” status.
NGO Oceana flags particular attention to the state of the Mediterranean — which according to the report published today, is the world’s most over-fished sea — as well as the Black Sea.
The 2018 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN confirmed a global trend toward unsustainable fishing.
33% of global fish stocks are now overfished, a figure that is increasing year after year, Oceana claimed the report said.
“The new report from the FAO is discouraging: it shows that the world still has a long way to go toward responsible management of our oceans. The number of over-fished marine fisheries has risen over the last years. And, despite increasingly sophisticated and aggressive fishing techniques, global catch has continued to decline,” said Andrew Sharpless, Oceana CEO.