UN workshop to discuss advances in managing bottom fishing impacts and stock sustainability

Advancements in the management of bottom fisheries and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks will be the focus of an international workshop to be held in New York (13-14 July).

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its Deep-sea Fisheries Project, which is part of the Common Oceans Program, will take part in this multistakeholder workshop, hosted by the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS).

The workshop is convened in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolutions to review and discuss measures taken by States and regional fisheries management bodies (RFMOs) on addressing the impacts of bottom fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), such as deep-sea corals and sponges, and the long-term management and sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks.

Eszter Hidas, manager of the Deep-sea Fisheries Project, says: “Bottom fisheries are important for food provision and livelihood support. We should recognize and continue to build on the good progress that has been made to prevent and limit their impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems and continue to improve their long-term management.”

A recent review conducted by FAO revealed that RFMOs have substantially reshaped their management of bottom fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) through the designation of fishing zones, area closures, and protocols for vessels that encounter a VME area. 

Since the early 2000s, the number of RFMOs managing deep-sea fisheries has doubled, resulting in a threefold increase in regulated areas in the ABNJ. Additionally, 192 VMEs have been established, representing an area of 147 million hectares. FAO monitors this progress through its VME database. 

“Effective governance, science-based measures and technological innovation can substantially reduce the impacts of bottom fishing while maintaining contributions to food production and livelihoods,” says Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.

However, challenges remain in the long-term sustainable management of many deep-sea fish stocks. According to FAO's 2025 State of Stock Index (SoSi), which monitors the biological sustainability of marine fisheries, we only know the sustainability status of 64 percent of deep-sea stocks in the ABNJ, and of these, only 56 percent are fished sustainably. These figures highlight the need for greater investment in scientific knowledge, stock assessments, and monitoring to better understand the condition of deep-sea fisheries and evaluate the effectiveness of management measures.

Fostering partnerships to strengthen effective management

The FAO-implemented Common Oceans Deep-sea Fisheries Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, has been partnering with RFMOs and their Contracting Parties to continue to progress towards precautionary and ecosystem approaches to the management of deep-sea fisheries in the ABNJ. 

“We have developed an e-learning course and a knowledge sharing platform, held a variety of symposia, workshops and trainings, engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders including the private sector, and we are developing several guidance documents and other tools to support progress,” says Hidas.

The Deep-sea Fisheries Project has increased recognition of the importance of collaboration among scientists and managers and across sectors, a longer-term vision for the management of priority stocks, and the incorporation of impacts of climate change and species interactions into management and decision-making, to strengthen effective management.  

Live streaming of the event will be available at: https://webtv.un.org

For more information on the Common Oceans Deep-sea Fisheries Project, visit:  https://www.fao.org/in-action/commonoceans/what-we-do/deep-sea-fisheries/en