Tulip Digest 7 May : A Data-Driven Look at World Marine Fisheries
The FAO's 2025 "Review of the state of world marine fishery resources" has just been released, providing a comprehensive and objective global assessment based on data through 2021-2023. This landmark study represents the most extensive review of marine fishery resources to date, assessing 2,570 stocks across all FAO Major Fishing Areas—the standardized oceanic regions that divide the world's marine waters for fisheries management purposes. In this edition, we review the results of this study, which offers an unprecedentedly detailed picture of the health and productivity of our oceans across the five continents.
Asia
China leads global marine fisheries production, operating across four major seas within its 3 million km² exclusive economic zone. The country's production peaked at over 13.4 million tonnes in 2015, though recent years have seen a strategic shift toward sustainability, with production stabilizing under 12 million tonnes. China's fisheries policy has evolved from purely economic growth to emphasizing enhanced resource management. Key species in China's fisheries include largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus), which produced 996,000 tonnes in 2021, Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) at 1.2 million tonnes, and Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) at 878,000 tonnes. These three species have shown the biggest increases in yield since 1990.
Japan, the region's second-largest fishing nation, has implemented one of the world's most sophisticated fisheries management systems. The country targets diverse species including Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), which remains the largest reported landing globally at around 2 million tonnes in 2021, despite declining from its 1986 peak of 5.2 million tonnes. Japan's historic specialty, Japanese pilchard (Sardinops melanostictus), now reported as Pacific sardine, peaked at 5.4 million tonnes in 1988 and produced 988,000 tonnes in 2021.
North America
The United States operates extensive and economically significant fisheries in the Northeast Pacific Alaska pollock is the primary fishery, with catches maintained around 1.2 million tonnes since the late 1980s after peaking at over 1.5 million tonnes in 2005. Other economically important species in the region include yellowfin sole, Atka mackerel, Pacific ocean perch, rock sole, and arrowtooth flounder.
Canada's fisheries in the Northeast Pacific are concentrated along the British Columbia coast, The primary targeted species include North Pacific hake, Pacific herring, rockfish, salmon, and Dungeness crab. though a the peak production was reached in the early 1990s. Current annual yield averages 150,000-200,000 tonnes per year, with catches including flatfish, skates, and various rockfish species.
The Northwest Atlantic area has however experienced significant fluctuations. Currently, the United States maintains yield value at USD 376.6 million annually with American sea scallops which account for 84 % of the port's value. The region continues rebuilding effort with total allowable catches remaining below historical levels.
South America
South America's coasts border two highly productive but distinct fishing areas. The Southeast Pacific is dominated by the highly variable Humboldt Current system, which fuels the world's largest single-species fishery: the Peruvian anchoveta primarily exploited by Peru and Chile. This region's yield shows extreme fluctuations, peaking at over 20 million tonnes in 1994 before dropping significantly due to El Niño events, showcasing its sensitivity to climate patterns. The latest figures indicate a yield of 8.7 million tonnes, also including significant catches of jumbo flying squid.
The Southwest Atlantic, which includes the waters of Argentina and Brazil which exhibits stable production, with yield around 2 million tonnes annually amounting to USD 5.5 billion annually. Key fisheries in this area, include the Argentine shortfin squid and Argentine hake and are crucial to the regional economy.
Europe
The Northeast Atlantic represents one of the world's most intensively managed fishing zones, with Norway, Iceland, the European Union, and the United Kingdom serving as the major fishing entities. This region's top catches include blue whiting, Atlantic herring, and Atlantic mackerel, supporting both large-scale industrial operations and traditional small-scale coastal fisheries.
Total annual marine yields have shown significant variation over time, rising from an average of 6.7 million tonnes in the 1950s to approximately 10.7 million tonnes during 1970-2000, with a remarkable peak of 13 million tonnes achieved in 1976. However, yields are stabilizing between 8-10 million tonnes annually. The species composition has also evolved with traditional fisheries for Atlantic cod, haddock, and Atlantic herring declining while fisheries for formerly lower-valued species like blue whiting have expanded to compensate for these losses.
The Mediterranean and Black Sea region are dominated by small pelagic species, particularly European anchovy with yields of 343,000 tonnes and sardine (European pilchard) contributing 141,400 tonnes. Total yields have fluctuated significantly since 1950, gradually increasing from 1 million tonnes to peak to nearly 2 million tonnes between 1971-1988. The combined Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries sector recorded total yields exceeding 1 million tonnes, generating approximately USD 7.8 billion in revenues and employing over 457,500 individuals across the value chain.
The Mediterranean Sea alone saw yields peak at 1 million tonnes in 1994, declining to 670,000 tonnes by 2021, while Black Sea yields have remained highly variable, reaching around 400,000 tonnes in 2021.
Africa
The Eastern Central Atlantic represents one of Africa's most productive and diverse fishing grounds, covering 14.2 million km² along the west coast of Africa from Cape Spartel to the Congo River. This region encompasses the exclusive economic zones of 24 countries and territories, with Morocco and Mauritania emerging as the largest producers. The area's remarkable biodiversity includes over 550 species reported in fisheries landings. The region's upward production trend has been consistent since the 1970s, reaching approximately 5.2 million tonnes in 2021, driven primarily by sardine catches.
The Southeast Atlantic encompasses the waters off Angola, Namibia, and South Africa, covering about 18 million km² and representing one of the world's most productive fishing grounds due to the influential Benguela upwelling system. Peak catches of 3.3 million tonnes were recorded in 1978, though current production has stabilized around 1.5 million tonnes annually, accounting for 1.8 % of global marine capture production in 2021. The fisheries are dominated by small pelagic species including Pacific sardine, sardinellas.
The Western Indian Ocean covers the vast expanse from the Red Sea to Southern Africa supporting approximately 7 % of global marine production with 5.5 million tonnes. This region demonstrates remarkable biodiversity with about 500 species harvested and the region also supports major industrial tuna fisheries with yield values exceeding USD 1.3 billion.
Oceania
The Western Central Pacific represents one of the world's most productive fishing regions, with annual yields reaching 13.5 million tonnes in 2021, making it the second-ranked area globally in terms of yield. The region includes Pacific island nations such as the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, along with northern Australia.
The fishery yields are highly diverse, with tunas, bonitos, and billfishes (including skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and kawakawa) comprising 27 % of total catches, while small pelagic species such as sardines, anchovies, and scads contribute 16 % of the regional yield. Cephalopods, including squids, cuttlefish, and octopus, account for an additional 5 % of the catch by weight.
The Southwest Pacific is smaller in comparison with annual yields of approximately 388,000 tonnes in 2021, following a peak of around 929,000 tonnes in the early 1990s. The fishery yields are characterized by several key species, with blue grenadier (Macruronus novaezelandiae) representing the largest component at 26 % of total reported catch, followed by horse mackerels (Trachurus spp.) at 12 %, and Wellington flying squid (Nototodarus sloanii) at 8 %. Other significant contributors to regional yields include snoek (Leionura atun) at 6 % and southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) at 5 %, while oceanic high seas species account for approximately 7 % of the total catch.
This review paints a complex but ultimately optimistic picture of world marine fisheries. The unprecedented increase in the number of assessed stocks to 2,570, up from just a few hundred in previous editions, is a monumental achievement. It reflects a global commitment to transparency and international cooperation. While challenges of overfishing persist in some regions, the intensified management efforts in many others have led to stable or recovering stocks and sustainable yields.
The global trend is moving decisively towards a future where decisions are guided by data. This enhanced knowledge empowers nations to implement effective policies, rebuild depleted stocks, and secure the immense ecological, social, and economic benefits that healthy oceans provide for generations to come.