SDG Indicator 14.4.1 | Sustainable developments Goals

SDG Indicator 14.4.1: Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

1. Key features and metadata

Definition: This indicator measures the sustainability of the world's marine capture fisheries by the abundance of exploited fish stocks with respect to Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) levels.

Sub-indicator	Disaggregated by
ER_H2O_FWTL Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels (not overfished) (%)	No current data disaggregation available.

Sub-indicator

Disaggregated by

ER_H2O_FWTL

Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels (not overfished) (%)

No current data disaggregation available.

Sources of information: Data collection is separate for the national and regional/global levels. At the national level, data is collected from competent national authorities (usually the National Statistics Office or the Ministry of Fisheries and/or Agriculture). At the regional/global levels, data is computed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Related SDG Indicators: Indicator 14.7.1 (Sustainable fisheries as a percentage of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries).

2. Data availability by region, SDG Global Database, as of 02 July 2025

Figure 3.26 Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

3. Proposed disaggregation, links to policymaking and its impact

Proposed disaggregation	Link to policymaking	Impact
Level of sustainability (MSY) by major fishing area (%)(FAO n.d.b): Atlantic, Northwest Atlantic, Northeast Atlantic, Western Central Atlantic, Eastern Central Mediterranean and Black Sea Atlantic, Southwest Atlantic, Southeast Indian Ocean, Western Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific, Northwest Pacific, Northeast Pacific, Western Central Pacific, Eastern Central Pacific, Southwest Pacific, Southeast	The information on fish stock levels per major fishing areas (FAO counts 19 of them) can be used to strengthen the monitoring and surveillance of the fish population. It also supports the introduction of appropriate regional, national and local policies as well as regulatory, planning and management frameworks to restore the sustainability of fish stocks(FAO 2022a; FAO 2023d). This disaggregation is relevant to building the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.	Overfishing and other unsustainable fishing practices not only affect fish stocks, marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. They affect the economic activities of coastal communities who heavily rely on marine and coastal resources for their food security, nutrition and livelihoods. This is also an area where women play a central role(FAO 2022a). Policy, regulatory, planning, and management frameworks targeted at major fishing areas can lead to an improvement in all the above-mentioned areas.
Level of sustainability (MSY) for the major species (%)(FAO 2022a): Anchoveta (Peruvian anchovy) Alaska pollock (walleye pollock) Skipjack tuna Atlantic herring Yellowfin tuna Blue whiting European pilchard Pacific chub mackerel Atlantic cod Largehead hairtail	This disaggregation by major species is of particular significance for migratory and straddling species. These supply the largest landings, have high economic value and are intensively traded worldwide(FAO 2022a). It helps to gain a better understanding of the status and trends in stocks of each species for which data is available and to take the relevant measures for maintaining or restoring stocks at biologically sustainable levels.	This disaggregation is particularly relevant for the improved planning and management of species of high economic value and/or those largely traded at the international level(FAO 2022a). Such information and targeted policies impact species caught by small-scale fishermen since their depletion may significantly affect the diet and livelihoods of coastal communities. In particular, the most vulnerable and the poorest. In the latter case, the main challenge is to create the conditions (i.e. management plans fully owned by the population through participatory processes, appropriate economic incentives, and organization of the value chains) to secure fair and equal access for women and men to fishery resources, as well as decent work for those involved in the value chains.

Proposed disaggregation

Link to policymaking

Impact

Level of sustainability (MSY) by major fishing area (%)(FAO n.d.b):

Atlantic, Northwest
Atlantic, Northeast
Atlantic, Western Central
Atlantic, Eastern Central
Mediterranean and Black Sea
Atlantic, Southwest
Atlantic, Southeast
Indian Ocean, Western
Indian Ocean, Eastern
Pacific, Northwest
Pacific, Northeast
Pacific, Western Central
Pacific, Eastern Central
Pacific, Southwest
Pacific, Southeast

The information on fish stock levels per major fishing areas (FAO counts 19 of them) can be used to strengthen the monitoring and surveillance of the fish population. It also supports the introduction of appropriate regional, national and local policies as well as regulatory, planning and management frameworks to restore the sustainability of fish stocks(FAO 2022a; FAO 2023d). This disaggregation is relevant to building the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

Overfishing and other unsustainable fishing practices not only affect fish stocks, marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. They affect the economic activities of coastal communities who heavily rely on marine and coastal resources for their food security, nutrition and livelihoods. This is also an area where women play a central role(FAO 2022a). Policy, regulatory, planning, and management frameworks targeted at major fishing areas can lead to an improvement in all the above-mentioned areas.

Level of sustainability (MSY) for the major species (%)(FAO 2022a):

Anchoveta (Peruvian anchovy)
Alaska pollock (walleye pollock)
Skipjack tuna
Atlantic herring
Yellowfin tuna
Blue whiting
European pilchard
Pacific chub mackerel
Atlantic cod
Largehead hairtail

This disaggregation by major species is of particular significance for migratory and straddling species. These supply the largest landings, have high economic value and are intensively traded worldwide(FAO 2022a). It helps to gain a better understanding of the status and trends in stocks of each species for which data is available and to take the relevant measures for maintaining or restoring stocks at biologically sustainable levels.

This disaggregation is particularly relevant for the improved planning and management of species of high economic value and/or those largely traded at the international level(FAO 2022a). Such information and targeted policies impact species caught by small-scale fishermen since their depletion may significantly affect the diet and livelihoods of coastal communities. In particular, the most vulnerable and the poorest. In the latter case, the main challenge is to create the conditions (i.e. management plans fully owned by the population through participatory processes, appropriate economic incentives, and organization of the value chains) to secure fair and equal access for women and men to fishery resources, as well as decent work for those involved in the value chains.