85.5% of fish stocks in New Zealand are considered sustainably fished.
A recent report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows that the fisheries on the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, as well as those in New Zealand, are among the most sustainable in the world.
To be more precise, The Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources 2025 states that on the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada, over 90% of fish stocks are being sustainably fished. In Australia and New Zealand, the figure exceeds 85%.
The report, which is based on data from 2,570 marine fish stocks, warns that while 77% of the fish consumed globally still comes from sustainable sources, more than a third of fish stocks are being overexploited.
Regarding this distinction, New Zealand's Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, has highlighted the Quota Management System (QMS) as the best current tool for managing fisheries sustainably, a system that has been in place since 1986.
"While these results are incredibly positive, I believe that our fishery management system can be even better, which is why I have proposed changes to the Fisheries Act. These changes will build on what we are already doing well, and make our fishing industry more efficient and productive, to allow the sector to meet its potential," he added.
In contrast, FAO states that along the northwest coast of Africa, from Morocco to the Gulf of Guinea, more than half of all fish stocks are overfished, with little hope of recovery.
Furthermore, 65% of the fish stocks in the Mediterranean and Black Sea are unsustainable, although there is a positive aspect: the number of boats going out to fish in that region has declined by nearly a third over the past decade.
