NOAA Fisheries says U.S. overfishing list fell to 15 stocks

NOAA Fisheries said it had released three flagship reports covering the status of U.S. fisheries and their economic impacts. The materials were last updated on October 30, 2026. The reports were the Status of Stocks 2025 Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries, 2024 Fisheries of the United States, and 2024 Fisheries Economics of the United States.

According to the agency, the 2025 Status of Stocks report tracked 522 stocks or stock complexes. In fiscal year 2025, NOAA Fisheries conducted 173 stock assessments and made two first-time stock status determinations as a result of improved or new scientific endeavors.

The agency said the number of stocks on the overfishing list dropped from 23 to 15 stocks, an all-time low, and another stock was added to the rebuilt list. That brought the number of rebuilt stocks to 52 since 2000. Of the 372 stocks with a known overfishing status, 96 percent are not subject to overfishing. The number of stocks on the overfished list remained the same at 42 stocks, and of the 265 stocks with a known overfished status, 84 percent are not overfished.

The agency reported that Atlantic blue marlin was removed from the overfishing list for the first time since 1998, and Quillback rockfish (California) was added to the rebuilt list in 2025.

The 2024 reports showed that U.S. commercial fisheries recorded total landings of 7.7 billion pounds, generating $4.9 billion in revenue. Commercial fisheries supported 1 million jobs and generated $175 billion in sales, $44 billion in income, and $70 billion in value-added impacts nationwide. Recreational fishing supported 685,000 jobs, generated $146 billion in sales impacts, and contributed $78.9 billion in value-added impacts nationwide.

Collectively, U.S. commercial fishing, seafood, and recreational fishing industries generated $321 billion in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs in 2024, according to the agency. It said the data serve as a reference for informed decision-making in support of the goal of restoring American seafood competitiveness.

The agency said seafood consumption in the United States was 18.4 pounds per person. The United States imported $25 billion worth of edible seafood products and exported $4.4 billion in 2024. Seafood farmers produced 561 million pounds of farmed seafood valued at $1.3 billion in 2024. NOAA Fisheries said the reports serve as foundational resources for understanding the state of the industry and identifying trends.