Sustainable Development Goals - 17 Goals to Transform our World
Life below water - Goal 14

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Indicator 14.4.1: Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

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Percentage of US fish stocks at a sustainable level

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Headline data

Year Value
2005 53
2006 54
2007 55
2008 58
2009 60
2010 60
2011 65
2012 66
2013 66
2014 73
2015 74
2016 74

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from US statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from US statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other US-specific metadata information.

Actual indicator available The Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI)
Actual indicator available - description The FSSI measures the performance of the most important federally-managed stocks that represent 85% of total U.S. catch.
Date of national source publication
Method of computation
Periodicity Annual
Scheduled update by national source
U.S. method of computation Stocks are at the sustainable level if abundance ≥ 80% of the abundance at the maximum sustainable yield, with the exception of rebuilding stocks, which must be at 100%. Percentage of stocks at sustainable level is calculated by dividing the total number of stocks at the sustainable level by the total number of FSSI stocks with known stock status / abundance levels.
Comments and limitations 1) The global metadata indicates that fish stocks are within biologically sustainable levels if abundance is at or higher than the level that can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). All U.S. federal stocks are managed to achieve the sustainability goals of the Magnuson-Stevenson Act, including requirements to end overfishing and rebuild, to achieve MSY. In 2015, 91% of federally managed stocks were not subject to overfishing and 84% were not overfished. U.S. Metadata indicates that fish stocks are within biologically sustainable levels if abundance is at or higher than 80% for non-rebuilding stocks (100% for rebuilding stocks) of the level that can produce maximum sustainable yield. 2) The Global Metadata reports at the United Nations statistical areas by species or species groups, while U.S. Metadata reports at the species complex, species, or stock level for U.S. managed stocks throughout their range. Note: US data are not available for years prior to 2005.
Date metadata updated 2017-09-26
Disaggregation geography
Unit of measurement Percentage of stocks at sustainable level
Disaggregation categories
International and national references
Time period
Scheduled update by SDG team

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels
Target name By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics.
Global indicator description The indicator we propose is the "proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels", not limits. It is therefore slightly different from the indicator 7.4 currently included in the Millennium Development Goals. The FAO Committee on Fisheries has requested changes (see the 2012 and 2014 Reports of the 30th and 31st Sessions of the Committee on Fisheries) in the description of the status of the stocks based on sustainability to ensure clarify and reduce misunderstandings by the general public. The concept of "within biologically sustainable levels" means that abundance of the fish stock is at or higher than the level that can produce the maximum sustainable yield. We estimated 584 fish stocks around world, representing 70% of global landings. Each stock was estimated using the method described in FAO Technical Paper 569. If the stock has abundance below the level that can produce maximum sustainable yield, it was counted as overfished. The indicator measures the % of the assessed stocks are within biologically sustainable levels.
UN designated tier 1
UN custodial agency FAO
Link to UN metadata Link opens in a new window
Organisation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service/Species Information System
Agency Staff Name Karen E. Greene
Agency Survey Dataset National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Marine Fisheries Service/Species Information System
Notes
Title
Link to data source https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/sisPortal/sisPortalMain.jsp opens in a new window