Saving Seafood

Study reinforces climate change will cause challenges for managing shared fishing stocks

September 5, 2025 — A recently published study has reiterated the long-discussed issue of climate change causing changes in distribution of marine species – which is putting strain on managing shared fishing stocks.

The study, published in Science Advances, examined 347 different “straddling” fish stocks across 67 species that are present in multiple exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and the high seas. Those stocks are often managed via cooperation between multiple coastal states or between multiple regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs).

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

FAO releases a detailed global assessment of marine fish stocks

June 18, 2025 —  Some of the world’s marine fisheries are recovering under strong, science-based management, but many others remain under pressure, according to a report launched today at the UN Ocean Conference by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It shows just how far effective governance can go and how urgently those gains need to be replicated.

The review of the state of world marine fishery resources – 2025 reports on the biological sustainability of 2,570 individual fish stocks, a major increase from previous editions. Informed by over 650 experts from more than 200 institutions and over 90 countries, this participatory and inclusive report analyzes trends across all FAO marine fishing areas and offers the clearest picture to date of how global marine fisheries are faring.

The report confirms that 64.5% of all fishery stocks are exploited within biologically sustainable levels, with 35.5% of stocks classified as over-fished. When weighted by their production levels, 77.2% of global fisheries landings come from biologically sustainable stocks.

In marine fishing areas under effective fisheries management, sustainability rates far exceed the global average. In the Northeast Pacific, for example, 92.7% of stocks are sustainably fished.

“Effective management remains the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources. This review provides an unprecedentedly comprehensive understanding, enabling more informed decision-making based on data,” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO. “This report gives governments the evidence they need to shape policy and coordinate coherently.”

Read the full article at Aqua Feed

Underexploitation of Fish Stocks: A Greater Threat to Food Security than Overfishing

January 15, 2025 —  A groundbreaking study published by researchers at the University of Washington has unveiled fresh insights into the effectiveness of global fisheries management, challenging conventional assessments that focus solely on overfishing. The research, led by Dr. Ray Hilborn, suggests that underexploitation of fish stocks is a far more significant contributor to lost food potential than overfishing. This discovery is central to the study’s introduction of a novel metric—the Commercial Fisheries Food Production Index (CFFPI)—designed to assess the ability of fisheries to maximize sustainable food production.

Key Findings: Underutilization of Fish Stocks

The study evaluates fisheries across 19 data-rich nations and five regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). These nations include Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Morocco, Peru, Russia, Japan, and Turkey. The European Union is analyzed separately for its Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, while sub-Saharan Africa is also included. Among the RFMOs studied are the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT).

The study reveals that current management practices capture only 77% of the combined maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from fish stocks. Notably, the research attributes 86% of the unrealized food production to insufficient fishing pressure, while overfishing accounts for a mere 14%.

Among international fisheries, the pattern is consistent: the majority of lost potential stems from underexploitation, not overfishing. These findings challenge traditional methods of evaluating fisheries performance, which prioritize preventing overfishing without adequately addressing opportunities to sustainably increase food production.

Introducing the CFFPI

To provide a more holistic assessment, the researchers developed the CFFPI. This index evaluates the long-term food production achievable from fisheries under current management compared to their maximum potential. Unlike conventional metrics focused on stock abundance, the CFFPI emphasizes fishing pressure as the critical variable for maximizing sustainable food production.

By using the CFFPI, the researchers identified that many countries could significantly increase their food production by targeting underexploited stocks, although this may require balancing other objectives such as environmental conservation and employment.

Broader Implications for Fisheries Policy

The study underscores the need to expand fisheries assessments beyond the commonly reported metrics of overfished stocks. While avoiding overfishing remains essential, the researchers argue that increasing fishing pressure on underexploited stocks offers a path to achieving higher sustainable yields. However, implementing such changes will require careful alignment with national and international goals, including ecological sustainability and economic priorities.

The analysis also highlights stark differences in management effectiveness among countries. Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway scored highly on the CFFPI, reflecting their focus on optimizing yields. In contrast, nations like the United States and Australia, often praised for their strong environmental laws, showed lower CFFPI scores due to precautionary policies that maintain low fishing pressure to avoid ecological risks.

A Call for Holistic Evaluation

The researchers conclude by advocating for the adoption of the CFFPI as a standard measure in fisheries management evaluations. Dr. Hilborn emphasizes that the index provides a more nuanced understanding of fisheries performance, accounting for the trade-offs inherent in managing marine resources for food production, environmental health, and socio-economic benefits.

“Simply reporting the proportion of stocks overfished or subject to overfishing, as is commonly done, does not, by itself, provide an adequate basis for decision-making when fisheries management has multiple objectives,” the authors state.

As global food security challenges intensify, this study provides a critical framework for optimizing fisheries management. By adopting tools like the CFFPI, policymakers can ensure that fisheries fulfill their potential as vital contributors to sustainable food systems while balancing ecological and social priorities.

Read the full article here

Tiny Island Chain Wants To Create The World’s Largest Ocean Sanctuary

April 5, 2016 — In an effort to protect fisheries and preserve one of the planet’s healthiest marine ecosystems, communities in a remote archipelago south of Tahiti are working to establish the largest fully protected marine reserve on the planet.

The proposal, which municipalities in the Austral Islands presented to the French Polynesian government on Monday, would ban fishing in more than 385,000 square miles of ocean surrounding the island chain and establish sustainable coastal fishing areas around each of its five inhabited islands.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, which helped the communities draft their proposal, said in an announcement on Tuesday that islanders hope the reserve will “help maintain healthy fish stocks to feed their families and support local fishermen while maintaining Polynesian customs that date back hundreds of years.”

The reserve, if approved, would be roughly the size of California, Nevada and Arizona combined.

Jérôme Petit, director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy campaign in French Polynesia, told The Huffington Post that the 6,000-plus residents of Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae and Rapa are concerned about the environmental damage affecting the world’s fisheries.

“They say, ‘We fish now in one day what we could fish 20 years ago in one hour,’” Petit said.

The reserve would extend roughly 200 nautical miles around each island, with the exception of the islands’ northern coasts. Sustainable coastal fishing areas extending 20 miles from each island would allow local anglers to fish from boats that are less than 25 feet long, according to the proposal.

Read the full story at the Huffington Post

Good Management can Lead to a More Sustainable Future

March 30, 2016 — A new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows that there is a triple bottom line, that abundance, catch and profit can all be increased by reforming fisheries management in places where it has not been reformed. It provides the most comprehensive estimates of the status of global fisheries and shows that the large fish stocks of the world that provide 95% of global catch on average are at about the abundance that would produce long term maximum yield, and fishing pressure on average is below traditional targets. Less than 20% of fish stocks appear to be overfished by U.S. standards.

Comment by Ray Hilborn, University of Washington, @hilbornr:

The paper by Costello and others (including myself) Global fishery prospects under contrasting management regimes that appeared March 28 in PNAS, provides the most comprehensive assessment of the status and potential of global fisheries. Its key finding is that when stocks are overfished, most can recover within 10 years if the appropriate management measures are taken. This means that globally we could have more catch, more fish in the ocean and more profit. Most of the potential for this “triple bottom line” comes from Asia where fisheries are both large, and at present, mostly unmanaged. We must distinguish between fisheries that are reformed and those that are poorly regulated and remain in a race to fish.

Diving deeper into the estimated current status of fish stocks, we find it depends greatly on the size of the stock. Although the paper examined the status of 4,324 individual stocks, just 719 of them provide 96% of the catch. From the perspective of catch, profitability, and fish in the ocean, it is the 719 that are critical and feed us.

Read the full story at CFood

ASMFC 2016 Spring Meeting Preliminary Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

March 16, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find attached and below the preliminary agenda and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Spring Meeting, May 2-5, 2016 in Alexandria, VA. The agenda is also available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting.  Materials will be available on April 20, 2016 on the Commission website at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-spring-meeting. 

Monday, May 2, 2016

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.              American Lobster Management Board

·         Discuss Future Management of Southern New England American Lobster Stock

o   Address Tabled Motion to Initiate an Addendum to Address the Declining Stock Conditions

o   Technical Committee Report

o   Plan Development Team Report

·         Discuss Future Management for Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank American Lobster Stock

·         Consider Final Action on Draft Addendum I to the Jonah Crab FMP

·         Discuss Possible Action to Create a Coastwide Standard for Claw Landings in the Jonah Crab Fishery

·         Update on Effort Control Measures for Jonah Crab Only Trap Fishermen in Rhode Island

·         Update on the New England Fishery Management Council Deep Sea Coral Habitat Amendment and ASMFC Survey to Area 3 Fishermen

·         American Lobster Law Enforcement Subcommittee Update on Offshore Enforcement and Trap Reduction Enforcement

 

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.                        Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) Executive Committee

·         Program Update

·         Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition

·         Review and Approve Standard Operating Procedures Written in Response to the Independent Program Review

·         Develop a Program Governance Recommendation

·         Review Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.                         ACCSP Coordinating Council

·         Program Update

·         Update on the MRIP APAIS Transition

·         Consider Approval of Standard Operating Procedures

·         Review and Consider Approval of Governance Recommendations

·         Review and Consider Approval of Request for Proposals for the Upcoming Funding Cycle

 

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

 

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                      Executive Committee

·         Report of the Administrative Oversight Committee

·         Presentation of the FY17 Budget

·         Discussion of ACCSP Governance

·         Discussion of Plan Development Team Membership

·         Future Annual Meetings Update

 

10:15 – 11:15 a.m.                    Horseshoe Crab Management Board

·         Discuss Biomedical Data Confidentiality and Stock Assessment Planning

·         Review of Alternative Bait Costs

·         Update on Adaptive Resource Management Framework Review

 

11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.          Shad and River Herring Management Board

·         Report from Data Standardization Workshop

·         Update on Activities of the River Herring Technical Expert Work Group

·         Stock Assessment Planning and Timetable for American Shad and River Herring Benchmark Assessments

 

Noon – 5:00 p.m.                     Law Enforcement Committee (LEC)

·         Update on Maine Lobster Trap Tag Transferability Program

·         Discuss Lobster Offshore Enforcement Issues

·         Review Tautog  Tagging Program Options and Subcommittee Efforts

·         Discuss Aerial Enforcement Issues and Subcommittee Efforts

·         Review 2016 Action Plan Tasks for LEC

·         Discuss Ongoing Enforcement Activities (Closed Session)

·         Federal Agency Report Highlights

·         State Agency Report Highlights

·         Review and Discuss Additional ISFMP Species Issues (as needed)

1:15 – 3:45 p.m.                        Climate Change Workshop

 

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.                        American Eel Management Board

·         Discuss Potential Options for Revisiting Yellow Eel Commercial Quota

 

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.                        Annual Awards of Excellence Reception

  

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

 

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                      Weakfish Management Board

·         Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Weakfish Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use

·         Discuss Next Steps for Management in Response to Assessment Results

8:30 a.m. – Noon                       Law Enforcement Committee (continued)

                                                               

10:15 – 11:45 a.m.                    Interstate Fisheries Management Program (ISFMP) Policy Board

·         Executive Committee Report

·         Management & Science Committee Report

·         Assessment Science Committee Report and Approval of the Stock Assessment Schedule

·         Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Report

·         Law Enforcement Committee Report

·         Consider Next Steps Relative to Climate Change and ASMFC Management

·         Report on Commissioner Survey Follow-up

·         Atlantic Sturgeon Benchmark Assessment Update

·         Overview of the Sturgeon Research and Recovery Workshop Scheduled for May 16-19, 2016 (Coordinated by NOAA Fisheries)

 

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.                        Commissioner Parliamentary Workshop

  

Thursday, May 5, 2016

 

8:00 – 10:00 a.m.                      Atlantic Menhaden Management Board

·         Consider Draft Addendum I for Public Comment

·         Provide Guidance to the Technical Committee Regarding Stock Projections

·         Consider 2015 FMP Review and State Compliance

10:15 – 11:00 a.m.                    Coastal Sharks Management Board

·         Review and Consider Approval of Draft Addendum IV (Smoothhound Dogfish) for Public Comment

11:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.            South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board

·         Review and Consider Approval of the 2016 Red Drum Benchmark Stock Assessment for Management Use

·         Discuss Next Steps for Red Drum Management in Response to the Assessment Results

·         Progress Update on Spot and Atlantic Croaker Benchmark Stock Assessments

·         Review North Carolina Report on Spanish Mackerel Pound Net Landings as Required by Addendum I to the Omnibus Amendment for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout

·         Elect Vice-Chair

 

2:00 – 2:30 p.m.                      Business Session (if necessary)

·         Review Noncompliance Findings (if necessary)

 

Public Comment Guidelines

With the intent of developing policies in the Commission’s procedures for public participation that result in a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunity to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will use a speaker sign-up list in deciding how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda, but have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comment will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action). 

1.    Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included in the briefing materials.

2.    Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be April 26, 2016) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.    Following the Tuesday, April 26, 2016 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

View a PDF of the Agenda

Feds withdraw eel fishing moratorium for Delaware

March 16, 2016 — DOVER, Del. (AP) – The National Marine Fisheries Service says it is withdrawing a federal moratorium on fishing for American eel in the state waters of Delaware.

The agency withdrew the moratorium effective Tuesday after concluding that Delaware is in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s eel management plan.

Regulators determined last year that Delaware was out of compliance because it had not implemented regulations to rebuild depleted eel stocks and to prevent over-harvest.

Read the full story at WMDT

MAFMC Solicits Public Input on Blueline Tilefish Management

March 9, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is soliciting public input on a draft amendment to address management and conservation of blueline tilefish in the Mid-Atlantic. Four public hearings will be held between March 21 and March 29, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30, 2016.  

The draft amendment considers adding blueline tilefish (Caulolatilus microps) as a managed species in the Golden Tilefish Fishery Management Plan, effectively turning that plan into the Golden and Blueline Tilefish Fishery Management Plan. The management measures proposed in the amendment are needed to constrain fishing mortality on the blueline tilefish stock and effectively manage the blueline tilefish fishery in waters off the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts. 

Additional information and documents, including a public hearing document (to be posted by March 14), may be obtained from http://www.mafmc.org/actions/blueline-tilefish.

Members of the public are invited to comment on any aspect of the draft amendment. Following a review of comments received, the Council will choose preferred management measures and submit the Amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and publication of proposed and final rules, both of which have additional comment periods. 

For more information, contact Jason Didden at (302) 526-5254 or jdidden@mafmc.org. 

Public Hearing Schedule

There will be four hearings with the following dates/times/locations:

  1. Monday March 21, 2016, 6 pm.  Dare County Administration Building, Commissioners Meeting Room, 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954; telephone: (252) 475-5700.
  2. Tuesday March 22, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 3001 Atlantic Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451; telephone: (757) 213-3001.
  3. Monday, March 28, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Suites Oceanfront, 3200 Baltimore Ave., Ocean City, MD 21842; telephone: (410) 289-6444.
  4. Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 7 pm.  Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood, 1885 Route 70, Lakewood, NJ 08701; telephone (732) 262-5232.

Written Comments

Written comments will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30, 2016, 11:59 pm. Comments may be sent by any of the following methods:

  • Email – jdidden@mafmc.org (Include “Blueline Tilefish Comments” in the subject line)
  • Mail – send comments to: Dr. Christopher Moore, Executive Director, MAFMC, 800 North State St., Suite 201, Dover, DE 19901 (Mark the outside of the envelope “Blueline Tilefish Comments”)
  • Fax – (302) 674–5399.

These public hearings are accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, (302) 526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

View this press release on our website or as a PDF

NOAA Fisheries Announces Adjustments to 2016 Atlantic Herring Catch Limits

March 9, 2015 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries: 

Today, we are announcing adjustments to the 2016 Atlantic herring catch limits for the different management areas. These adjusted catch limits account for overages and carryover of unharvested catch from 2014. 

Catch information for fishing year 2014 shows that in three stock areas (Areas 1A, 2, and 3) Atlantic herring was under-harvested, while in one stock area (Area 1B) the catch limit was exceeded. The overall 2014 stock-wide catch limit was not exceeded. Therefore, we are adjusting the initial 2016 area catch limits to account for the overage and carryovers from the 2014 fishing year. The initial stock-wide catch limit is also adjusted to account for the overage incurred in Area 1B.

Final 2016 herring catch limits will publish later this spring.

Initial Adjusted Herring Catch Limits for 2016: 

Area 1A

30,397 metric tons

Area 1B

2,941 metric tons

Area 2

32,100 metric tons

Area 3

43,832 metric tons

Stockwide

103,045 metric tons

For more information, read the proposed rule as published today in the Federal Register, and the permit holder bulletin available on our website.

Questions about this rule? Please contact Emily Gilbert, 978-281-9244, or Emily.Gilbert@noaa.gov.