The number of United States fish stocks subject to overfishing has fallen to a record low, while the country’s commercial and recreational fishing industries generated US$321 billion in economic activity and supported 1.7 million jobs in 2024.
The findings are contained in three annual reports released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, covering fish stock conditions, commercial and recreational catches, seafood trade and the economic contribution of the fishing industry.
NOAA Fisheries said the reports provide important data for monitoring the sustainability of U.S marine fisheries and measuring their contribution to the national economy.
The 2025 Status of Stocks report shows that the number of fish stocks subject to overfishing dropped from 23 to 15, the lowest level recorded.
Of the 372 stocks with known overfishing status, 96 percent are not subject to overfishing.
The number of overfished stocks remained unchanged at 42, while 84 percent of the 265 stocks with known status were not overfished.
The report also recorded progress in rebuilding fish populations, bringing the total number of rebuilt stocks to 52 since 2000.
Atlantic blue marlin was removed from the overfishing list for the first time since 1998, while California’s quillback rockfish was added to the rebuilt list in 2025.
NOAA Fisheries monitored 522 stocks or stock complexes and conducted 173 stock assessments during the 2025 fiscal year, resulting in two first-time stock status determinations through improved or new scientific assessments.
The agency said sustainable fisheries management depended on sound science, effective enforcement, innovative management approaches and partnerships with regional fishery management councils, States and international organisations.
The two 2024 economic reports also highlighted the industry’s contribution to employment, coastal communities and national revenue.
U.S commercial fisheries recorded total landings of 7.7 billion pounds, generating US$4.9 billion in revenue.
The commercial fishing industry supported one million jobs and generated US$175 billion in sales, US$44 billion in income and US$70 billion in value-added economic impacts nationwide.
Recreational fishing supported another 685,000 jobs, generated US$146 billion in sales and contributed US$78.9 billion in value-added impacts.
NOAA Fisheries said the figures demonstrated the importance of commercial and recreational fishing to coastal economies and the wider U.S economy.
The reports also highlighted the country’s dependence on international seafood markets, with the United States importing US$25 billion worth of edible seafood products and exporting US$4.4 billion in 2024.
U.S seafood consumption stood at 18.4 pounds per person, while domestic aquaculture production reached 561 million pounds of farmed seafood valued at US$1.3 billion.
NOAA Fisheries said the data would support informed decisions on strengthening domestic seafood production, improving competitiveness and addressing unfair trade practices.
The agency said sustainable fisheries remained important to food security, economic growth and recreational opportunities.
The full datasets from the 2024 Fisheries of the United States and Fisheries Economics of the United States reports are available through NOAA’s Fisheries One Stop Shop database.
