In 2018 it was estimated that nearly 90% of the world’s marine fish stocks were fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.

Overfishing is defined as too many fish being caught so there are not enough adults to breed and sustain a healthy population (Marine Stewardship Council, n.d.).

In addition to overfishing, certain methods of fishing have a greater negative impact than others. For example, trawling and dredging can damage sensitive seabed habitats.

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All of these pressures mean there is an urgent need to:

• rewild the sea and promote wild fish populations and marine and coastal habitats to recover
• enhance natural processes including those that help mitigate climate change
• support coastal communities.