2026-10-31 · percent of assessed marine stocks
A third of fish stocks are overfished
Biologically sustainable vs overexploited — FAO tracks the split.
More than a third of the world's assessed marine fish stocks are overfished — pushed beyond biologically sustainable limits. FAO's SOFIA assessment puts 35% of stocks in the overfished category, 57% fished at maximum sustainable levels, and 8% underfished. That leaves most of the ocean's catch at or near its limit, with little room for pressure to grow.
1 cell = 0.1 percent of assessed marine stocks (0.1% of marine fish stocks) · 1,000 cells
Context
FAO's State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report classifies assessed marine fish stocks by biological sustainability. The split shown here — overfished, fished at maximum sustainable yield, and underfished — is how the agency tracks whether fishing pressure stays within what stocks can replenish.
Stocks fished at maximum sustainable yield are being harvested at the largest catch that can be taken long-term: sustainable, but with no buffer if conditions worsen. Overfished stocks have already been pushed below that threshold.
Only 8% of assessed stocks are underfished, meaning the world's oceans offer little untapped headroom for expanding the catch.
FAO SOFIA stock status categories.
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Credit this grid as Inagrid — https://inagrid.com/e/2026-10-31-overfishing-stocks
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