Descrizione 1
Camilla Antonini, Saša Raicevich
During the 2007-2022 period, the majority of the assessed fish stocks are in a state of overexploitation: the fishing-induced mortality is higher than that necessary for a sustainable exploitation of the resources in the long term under average environmental conditions.
In the 2020-2022 triennium, the lowest values in the historical series were recorded, with approximately 60% of stocks classified as overexploited, indicating a relative improvement.
This indicator, based on internationally validated analytical stock assessments, reflects the overall trend in the exploitation status of commercially fished stocks, highlighting the condition of harvested resources. The indicator is also associated with the percentage coverage of landed fish stocks for which stock assessments are available. The analysis is conducted at both the national and subregional levels, following the geographic division defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
The indicator provides the trend in the percentage and number of overexploited fish stocks, defined as those experiencing fishing-induced mortality higher than the level corresponding to Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY or its proxies, F0.1, EMSY = 0.4, or other parameters proposed through stock assessments).
The estimation of this parameter is performed case by case, based on biological and catch data using a modeling approach.
The indicator, including only analytical stock assessments and only those stocks whose assessments have been internationally validated, is calculated on consolidated procedures that allow comparing current fishing mortality (Fcurr or its proxies) and the level required for sustainable exploitation (FMSY or its proxies).
The indicator includes only those fish stocks assessed using analytical stock assessment procedures, with results validated at the international level by technical bodies of the EU (STECF - Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries) and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
Since stock assessments generally refer to previous years, the stock status is conventionally assigned to the year preceding the availability of an internationally validated assessment. Similarly, the percentage of national landings with available stock assessments is based on catch data from the same reference year, i.e., the year before the assessment was conducted.
A comprehensive evaluation is provided at both the national level and for the subregions defined by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC:
- Western Mediterranean
- Ionian and Central Mediterranean
- Adriatic Sea
The indicator integrates both absolute data (number of overexploited stocks) and relative percentages in relation to the total number of assessed stocks.
Additionally, many of the assessed stocks are shared among multiple countries, including both EU member states and extra EU countries. The composition of assessed stocks varies over time; however, the use of three-year data integration windows enhances the stability of the considered stock pool.
This variability is provided to ensure a proper interpretation of the indicator.
To illustrate the overall trend in the exploitation status of fish stocks targeted by commercial fishing.
Both international and European regulations establish specific sustainability goals for fisheries. Progress toward these objectives can be tracked using this indicator as a proxy to represent the sustainability of fish stock exploitation.
Below are the main legal references and objectives at the international level:
European and International Regulations
- Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and the Council (June 17, 2008), establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive). Official Journal of the European Union L 164, 25.06.2008.
According to this Directive and its associated methodological standards (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 of May 17, 2017), sustainability criteria under Descriptor 3 (Commercial fish and shellfish) include:- Criterion D3C1 — Primary: The fishing mortality rate of populations of commercially-exploited species is at or below levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY).
- Criterion D3C2 — Primary: The Spawning Stock Biomass of populations of commercially-exploited species are above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield.
- Regulation (EU) No. 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council (December 11, 2013) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Official Journal of the European Union L 354, 28.12.2013.
- Article 2 (Objectives), Paragraph 2 states:
- " The CFP shall apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management, and shall aim to ensure that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield."
- " In order to reach the objective of progressively restoring and maintaining populations of fish stocks above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield, the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate shall be achieved by 2015 where possible and, on a progressive, incremental basis at the latest by 2020 for all stocks."
- Aichi Biodiversity Target 6 (CBD)
- By 2020, all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches.
- Overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species.
- Fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems.
- The impacts of fishing on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits.
- UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.4
- By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices.
- 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..
- Associated Indicator: “Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels”, measuring the sustainability of global fish catches relative to their abundance.
- A stock with an abundance above or at the level capable of producing MSY is classified as biologically sustainable. (http://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/indicators/14.4.1/en/).
Descrizione 2
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 2017 Mediterranean Stock Assessments - Part I (STECF-17-15). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2017, ISBN 978-92-79-67487-7, doi:10.2760/897559, JRC109350
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - 2017 Mediterranean Stock Assessments - Part 2 (STECF-17-15); Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, ISBN 978-92-79-67494-5, doi:10.2760/90316, JRC111820
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 56th Plenary Meeting Report (PLEN-17-03); Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg; ISBN 978-92-79-77297-9, doi:10.2760/605712, JRC109344
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 57th Plenary Meeting Report (PLEN-18-01), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2018, ISBN 978-92-79-85804-8, doi:10.2760/088784, JRC111800
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 2018 Mediterranean Stock Assessments - Part 1 (STECF-18-12). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2018, ISBN 978-92-79-79395-0, doi:10.2760/838965, JRC114779
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 2018 Mediterranean Stock Assessments - Part 2 (STECF-18-16). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2018, ISBN 978-92-79-79399-8, doi:10.2760/598716, JRC114787
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock Assessments: demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea (STECF-19-10). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-11288-4, doi:10.2760/5399, JRC119055
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – 2019 Stock Assessments part 2: European fisheries for demersal species in the Adriatic Sea (STECF-19- 16). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-14558-5, doi:10.2760/95875, JRC119057
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock Assessments: demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea (STECF-20-09). EUR 28359 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-27165-9, doi:10.2760/286667, JRC122993
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock Assessments in the Mediterranean Sea - Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas (STECF-20-15). EUR 28359 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020, ISBN 978-92-76-27168-0, doi:10.2760/877405, JRC122994
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock
assessments in the Mediterranean Sea 2021 – Adriatic and Ionian Seas (STECF-21-15). EUR 28359
EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, ISBN 978-92-76-46195-1,
doi:10.2760/59806, JRC127766.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock
Assessments: demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea (STECF-21-11). Publications
Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, EUR 28359 EN, ISBN 978-92-76-46116-6,
doi:10.2760/046729, JRC127744
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) –
Methods for supporting stock assessment in the Mediterranean (STECF-21-02). Publications Office
of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2021, EUR 28359 EN, ISBN 978-92-76-40594-8,
doi:10.2760/457201, JRC126125.
Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) Quality checking of MED & BS data and reference points (STECF-22-03). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/465703, JRC130288.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock Assessments: demersal stocks in Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas and straits of Sicily (STECF-22-16). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/25344, JRC132157.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Stock Assessments: demersal stocks in Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas and straits of Sicily (STECF-22-16). Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/25344, JRC132157.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - Stock assessments in the Western Mediterranean Sea (STECF 23-09), Mannini, A., Ligas, A. and Pierucci, A. editor(s), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023, doi:10.2760/995295, JRC135661.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - Stock Assessments in the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas and Strait of Sicily (STECF-23-12), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2023.
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - Methodologies for Mediterranean stock assessments and the estimation of reference points (STECF- 24-02), Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024.
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) - Report of Seventh Meeting of the Subregional Committee for the Western Mediterranean (SRC-WM), Rome, Italy, 21–24 May 2024. p. 116.
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) - Report of Seventh Meeting of the Subregional Committee for the Adriatic Sea (SRC-AS), Podgorica, Montenegro, 28–31 May 2024. p. 131.
The indicator is affected by the number of stocks assessed.
In order to make the indicator more comparable in terms of time and space, it is necessary to prepare a pathway leading to the definition of a stable set of fish stocks to be considered in order to assess progress toward achieving sustainable exploitation of resources. This selection should be conducted according to comparable and homogeneous criteria at the Mediterranean level. This implies, on the one hand, the selection of a number of stocks that are assessed on an annual (or biennial) basis. On the other hand, it is necessary that this analytical effort take into account fish stocks to such an extent that the pressure and status of a larger percentage of national landings can be tracked. Also at the Mediterranean level, it is considered appropriate that a coordinated approach be established with respect to the selection of reference points, methodological approaches to their estimation, and methodological approaches to define the uncertainty associated with the estimation of reference points.
Within the framework of the Barcelona Convention (2008 Conference of the Parties, Decision IG17/6), UNEP/MAP has initiated, in collaboration with GFCM, an international pathway for the definition of the Ecosystem Approach, which includes the definition of priority Mediterranean fish stocks on which to conduct such analyses.
Qualificazione dati
Used internationally validated stock assessment data from STECF and GFCM (annual reports): https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reports
http://www.fao.org/gfcm/activities/fisheries/stock-assessment/en/
I use fish species landings data from STECF and EUROSTAT (via the EUMOFA platform): https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dd/fleet https://www.eumofa.eu/
National
2007-2022
Qualificazione indicatore
For each year, the status of fish stocks assessed and validated by STECF and/or GFCM is considered. The stock status assessment is based on the ratio between the most recent fishing mortality levels (Fcurr) and their corresponding reference values. The reference-year value is therefore calculated as the Fcurr/FMSY ratio reported for that year. The methodology has been updated compared to previous years: instead of using the three-year average (current year and two previous years), the new approach calculates the annual Fcurr/FMSY ratio. This update aligns with the methodology applied at the Mediterranean scale by GFCM in its biennial report, "The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020" (GFCM, 2020), allowing for direct comparisons between National and Regional estimates. Stock Assessment Criteria:
- Fcurr values are compared with the reference fishing mortality corresponding to Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY) for the year.
- F0.1, obtained through Yield per Recruit analysis, is generally used as a proxy for FMSY.
- Stocks with Fcurr > F0.1 are classified as overexploited, meaning they are subjected to fishing pressure exceeding sustainable levels.
- For small pelagic species (e.g., sardines and anchovies), when direct estimates of F are unavailable, the exploitation rate (E = F/Z) is considered.
- The reference threshold (EMSY) for overexploitation is set at 0.4, as suggested by Patterson (1992), unless alternative thresholds are justified in the stock assessment documentation. Stocks are classified as overexploited when E > EMSY.
Some stock assessments are conducted across multiple FAO Geographical Sub-Areas (GSAs), sometimes including extra-UE country GSAs or GSAs spanning multiple national subregions. In such cases, the overall exploitation value for the combined GSAs is assigned to each individual national GSA involved, treating them as separate stocks for calculation purposes.
This analysis excludes highly migratory pelagic species such as bluefin tuna and swordfish, which are assessed internationally by ICCAT over broad geographic scales (Atlantic-Mediterranean and Mediterranean, respectively).
In 2022, most of the fish stocks considered (18 stocks, equivalent to 62.1% of those assessed) were classified as overexploited due to fishing activities. This figure, along with 2021, represents the lowest percentage recorded in the time series.
During the same period, the highest percentage of national landings covered by stock assessments was observed, reaching 64.2% in 2021 and 62% in 2022 (Table 1).
This improvement, compared to previous updates where the percentage ranged between 30-35%, is primarily due to the availability of assessments for small pelagic stocks (Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardina pilchardus). Given the multi-species nature of national and Mediterranean catches, these small pelagic species provide a significant contribution to total National landings.
In the period 2007-2022 the percentage of overexploited fish stocks did not decrease over time, although the lowest values in the historical series were recorded in 2021 and 2022.
- Most of the stocks considered were overexploited, rising from 77.8% in 2007 to 96.4% in 2014, indicating a state of unsustainable fishing for most of the assessed stocks (Figure 1).
- After 2014, the percentage declined, reaching 58.1% in 2021 and 62.1% in 2022, likely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and resources, as well as the adoption of stricter fisheries management measures.
- Additionally, there was a progressive increase in the number of stocks assessed through stock assessment between 2007 and 2014, rising from 9 to 35 (Table 1).
- From 2015 to 2022, the number of assessed stocks ranged between 18 and 31, with 29 stocks assessed in 2022.
Dati
Table 1: National trend of stocks in overfished status
ISPRA processing ofstock assessment data validated internationally by STECF and GFCM
*Estimate conducted considering the total catches validated internationally by STECF (for the period 2007-2018) and those published in the Eumofa platform (for the period 2019-2021) as reference values. **For the 2019-2022 period, the estimated catch per stock is conducted considering 2018 as reference values.
Table 2: Trend of stocks in overfished status broken down by subregion of the MSFD.
ISPRA processing of stock assessment data validated internationally by STECF and GFCM.
Table 3. Trend in the ratio of fishing mortality (F curr) to Maximum Sustainable Yield mortality (Fmsy) for fish stocks assessed by analytical stock assessment
ISPRA processing of stock assessment data validated internationally by STECF and GFCM.
*Stocks shared with other countries for which the assessment was shared with neighboring GSAs. **In the case of stocks of small pelagics (sardines and anchovies), the exploitation rate (E = F/Z) is considered. The reference limit (EMSY) for defining whether a stock is overfished is set at 0.4, as suggested by Patterson (1992). In the case where E>EMSY the stocks are then classified as being in an overfished state.
Figure 1: Number of stocks assessed and percentage of stocks in overfishing
ISPRA processing of stock assessment data validated internationally by STECF and GFCM
Figure 2: Percentage of domestic landings corresponding to assessed stocks.
ISPRA processing of stock assessment data validated internationally by STECF and GFCM.
Between 2007 and 2022, most of the assessed stocks were classified as overexploited due to fishing activities (Figure 1, Table 1). In 2022, the percentage of overexploited stocks was among the lowest in the time series (62.1%).
When considering the percentage of landings corresponding to the assessed fish stocks, it averaged around 32%, with fluctuations occurring year by year depending on the stocks considered (Figure 2, Table 1).
The trend of the indicator (both in absolute value and percentage) is influenced by the number and type of stocks assessed each year (Figures 1 and 2). Nonetheless, the percentages of assessed stocks indicate a widespread state of overexploitation. The reliability of this assessment has improved over time, due to increased analytical efforts to obtain stock evaluations through stock assessments.
As shown in Table 2, in 2022, the number of fish stocks assessed in the three sub-regions was:
Table 3 provides a list of fish stocks assessed through stock assessment since 2007, for which mortality estimates, and reference points are available. For these stocks, the ratio between the current exploitation rate and its reference value (Fcurr/FMSY) or its proxies is reported.
All values greater than 1 indicate a non-sustainable exploitation status, meaning that the stock is being harvested at a rate that does not allow for the achievement of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY).