Fishery Stock Status Updates

For questions or concerns on this topic please contact Karen E. Greene.

Since 1996, NOAA Fisheries has reported on the status of U.S. fisheries, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Reporting on the status of fish stocks provides fisheries managers and the public with an account of how well current fisheries management measures are working. A scientific analysis of the abundance and composition of a fish stock (stock assessment) evaluates the stock against reference points. Stock assessments use the best information available, which may include data from fisheries landings, scientific surveys, and biological studies. NOAA Fisheries uses the stock assessment and reference points to determine whether the stock is subject to overfishing or overfished. Information from the stock assessment is used by the regional fishery management council to recommend the annual catch limit for the stock.

NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Sustainable Fisheries posts quarterly fish stock status updates for those managed under federal fishery management plans based on stock assessments completed during that quarter. This information is then compiled in the Status of Stocks Annual Report to Congress.

Stock status definitions include:

• Overfishing – The annual rate of catch is too high.

• Overfished – The population size is too small.

• Rebuilt – A previously overfished stock that has increased in abundance to the target population size that supports its maximum sustainable yield.

These data also help NOAA Fisheries calculate its Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI), which measures the performance of U.S. fish stocks selected for their importance to commercial and recreational fisheries.

Determining Stock Status

These reports provide comprehensive status updates on fish stocks included in the Fish Stock Sustainability Index, and other, non-FSSI fish stocks. NOAA Fisheries provides up-to-date information on whether a stock is overfished, subject to overfishing, or has been rebuilt. Below is a list of the most recent updates, with full listings of each stock and its status. 

Read the Status of U.S. Fisheries Report to Congress, 2022
Previous Status of U.S. Fisheries Reports

2023 Quarterly Updates

Status as of December 31, 2023

• Summary of Status Changes (PDF, 4 pages)
• FSSI and Non-FSSI Stock Status Table (PDF, 51 pages)
• Stocks on the Overfished and Overfishing Lists by Region (PDF, 1 page)
• Rebuilt Stocks by Region (PDF, 1 page)

Status as of September 30, 2023

• Summary of Status Changes (PDF, 4 pages)
• FSSI and Non-FSSI Stock Status Table (PDF, 51 pages)
• Stocks on the Overfished and Overfishing Lists by Region (PDF, 1 page)
• Rebuilt Stocks by Region (PDF, 1 page) 

Status as of June 30, 2023

• Summary of Status Changes (PDF, 2 pages)
• FSSI and Non-FSSI Stock Status Table (PDF, 46 pages)
• Stocks on the Overfished and Overfishing Lists by Region (PDF, 1 page)
• Rebuilt Stocks by Region (PDF, 1 page) 

Status as of March 31, 2023

• Summary of Status Changes (PDF, 1 page)
• FSSI and Non-FSSI Stock Status Table (PDF, 46 pages)
• Stocks on the Overfished and Overfishing Lists by Region (PDF, 1 page)
• Rebuilt Stocks by Region (PDF, 1 page)