The global state of marine fish stocks, although concerning, has remained roughly stable over the past 15 years: 52 percent of stocks are fully exploited, 17 percent are overexploited, and 8 percent are depleted or recovering from depletion. However, the status of many migratory fish species, known as "straddling stocks," has been deteriorating more rapidly than the global average. This worrisome trend is one of several pressing issues discussed in the recently released State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) report, published every two years by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The Straddling Stocks Problem in Fisheries Management
According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal states have sovereign rights to fish within 200 miles of their shores, an area known as the "Exclusive Economic Zone" (EEZ). The ocean commons, called the "high seas," may be fished without regulation by any country. Since 1982, states have voiced concern over migratory species such as tuna and swordfish, which "straddle" multiple EEZs as well as the high seas. In particular, individual country efforts to conserve or revitalize straddling stocks are often undermined by fishing operations in distant waters.
Regional Management of Straddling Stocks
The UN Fish Stocks Agreement in 1995 stressed the need for regional management to ensure the protection of fish stocks beyond the jurisdiction of coastal states. According to the 2006 SOFIA report, 39 regional fisheries management organizations (RMFOs) are currently in place. However, these multilateral institutions lack political will and have not yet wrought notable improvement--66 percent of high seas and straddling fish stocks are overexploited or depleted, including species such as Atlantic cod and halibut, hakes, and bluefin tuna.
The report concludes that "strengthening RFMOs in order to conserve and manage fish stocks more effectively remains the major challenge facing international fisheries governance."
Average Per Capita Fish Supply, 2000-2003
Source: FAO, 2007. State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
Other Findings
Other major findings of the SOFIA 2006 report include:- Wild fish captures have hit a record high of 95 million metric tons per year (90 percent from marine and 10 percent from inland fisheries).
- 47.8 million metric tons of fish were produced through aquaculture, making it the world's fastest growing food production sector.
- The global trade in fish and fishery products has also set a record with an export value of US $71.5 billion, up 23 percent from 2000.
- Of the 141.6 million metric tons of fish produced annually, 75 percent is used for direct human consumption. The rest is used for non-food products such as the manufacture of fish meal and oil.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Production and Utilization
Source: FAO, 2007. State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
RELATED LINKS:
UN Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea
EarthTrends
Data Table: Trends in Marine and Inland Fisheries Capture by Species 2003
Feature: Farming Fish, The Aquaculture Boom
Map: Periods of Peak Fishery Catches and Declines Since the Peak Year
