FAO Assessments Rate All Antarctic Fish Stocks as Biologically Sustainable

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has rated 100 percent of assessed fish stocks in the Antarctic as biologically sustainable in its recent global evaluations. This finding appears in both the Review of the State of World Marine Fishery Resources - 2025 and the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2026 report.

According to the FAO news release on the 2025 review, launched at the UN Ocean Conference, "In the Antarctic (Areas 48, 58, and 88), 100 percent of the stocks assessed are fished sustainably. This is the first time this region has been included in this report, and while small in volume these fisheries demonstrate what is possible with ecosystem-based management and international cooperation" (fao.org).

The SOFIA 2026 report confirms the same outcome with updated data. It finds that all 15 monitored stocks across the three Antarctic FAO areas are considered biologically sustainable, the highest proportion of any region assessed, according to analysis by the Marine Stewardship Council (msc.org). This marks the second consecutive assessment reaching the 100 percent figure. Antarctic krill is identified as the primary target species in the region, alongside toothfish (akerbiomarine.com).

Globally, the picture is less positive. The 2025 review reported 64.5 percent of all fishery stocks exploited within biologically sustainable levels, with 35.5 percent overfished. SOFIA 2026 recorded a slight decline to 62.4 percent sustainable stocks, though 72.6 percent of landings by volume came from sustainable sources (fao.org; msc.org).

The Antarctic outcome is linked to management by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). David Agnew, then Executive Secretary of CCAMLR, stated that positive results in the Antarctic, Northeast Pacific and Southwest Pacific "reflect the benefit for sustainable fishery management of having strong institutions, consistent and comprehensive monitoring, the integration of scientific evidence into management decisions and the implementation of precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches" (fao.org).

CCAMLR sets precautionary catch limits for krill, including a trigger level of around 620,000 tonnes, well below estimated biomass levels, to account for ecosystem needs. The 2025 review analyzed 2,570 individual stocks with input from over 650 experts. SeafoodSource noted the Antarctic inclusion and 100 percent sustainability rating due to ecosystem-based management and CCAMLR cooperation (seafoodsource.com).

Specialist reporting has highlighted implications for krill-derived omega-3 ingredients. The Nutraceutical Business Review stated that the SOFIA 2026 finding of 100 percent sustainability for the 15 assessed stocks bolsters sourcing credentials for the sector, while noting ongoing discussions about ecosystem effects beyond single-stock sustainability (nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com).

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu has emphasized that effective management is the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources, urging governments to scale up successful approaches as part of the organization's Blue Transformation vision.