FAO report: Fishing pressure in the Mediterranean and Black Sea halved over a decade, yet 52% of stocks remain overexploited
The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025 report, published by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), shows that average fishing pressure in the region fell by about 50% between 2013 and 2023, and the biomass of assessed commercial species rose by 25%, but 52% of the analyzed stocks remain overexploited.
The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) states in its report The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2025 that over the decade from 2013 to 2023, average fishing pressure in the Mediterranean and Black Sea fell by about 50%, and the biomass of assessed commercial species increased by 25%.
The report also shows that 52% of the analyzed stocks remain overexploited. This share is at its lowest point in the recorded series, according to the report.
The report concludes that progress has been made in restoring fishery resources in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, but biological and economic imbalances remain significant. The report also mentions growth in aquaculture and flags uneven profitability across fishing fleets, as well as the challenges the sector faces in attracting young people.
The above content was reported by the Italian media outlet EuropaAzul and republished by the FIS fisheries information platform on October 22, 2026.