The last two decades have seen a deepening of the fish crisis. Action taken by governments at the national, regional and multilateral levels for the management and control of the marine and inland water ecosystem and restoration of fish stocks, as well as for the implementation of instruments such as the UN Fish Stock Agreement, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Development Goals, has fallen short in arresting the decline in fish stocks.
FAO (2006a)data confirms that approximately 75% of fish species with commercial value have been overexploited and some are close to extinction. 52% of commercial stocks are fully exploited, i.e. they are at or near their maximum sustainability production levels. 25% more are in very bad condition: 17% are overexploited and 7% are depleted. Only 1% is recovering from depletion.
