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Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development


Data extracted in April 2025.

Planned article update: June 2026.

Highlights


Goal-level assessment of SDG 14 on “Life below water” showing the EU has made no progress towards nor movement away from sustainability objectives during the most recent five-year period of available data.
EU trend of SDG 14 on life below water

This article is a part of a set of statistical articles, which are based on the Eurostat publication ’Sustainable development in the European Union — Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context — 2025 edition’. This report is the ninth edition of Eurostat’s series of monitoring reports on sustainable development, which provide a quantitative assessment of progress of the EU towards the SDGs in an EU context.

SDG 14 aims to protect and ensure the sustainable use of oceans. This includes reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, ending overfishing and conserving marine and coastal ecosystems. SDG 14 is strongly related to other SDGs because oceans sustain coastal economies and livelihoods, contribute to food production and function as a carbon sink.


Life below water in the EU: overview and key trends

The livelihoods and well-being of Europeans depend heavily on the health and productivity of marine ecosystems. At the same time, the marine and coastal environments are affected by climate change, habitat destruction, degradation and alteration, biodiversity loss, over-exploitation of marine resources and pollution from various sources. Monitoring SDG 14 in an EU context thus involves looking into trends in the areas of ocean health, marine conservation and sustainable fisheries. The assessment of the EU’s progress towards SDG 14 over the most recent five-year period is neutral. On the positive side, fish stocks in EU marine waters (especially in the North-East Atlantic) seem to be recovering due to reduced fishing pressure. However, unsustainable trends are visible in the areas of ocean acidification (as result of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities) and eutrophication. Additionally, despite an increase in marine protected areas in the past decade, the designation of new areas would need to speed up significantly to achieve the target of protecting at least 30% of EU seas by 2030.

  • A table showing the indicators measuring progress towards SDG 14 in the EU.

    Table 1: Indicators measuring progress towards SDG 14, EU

  • A table showing the Explanation of symbols for indicating progress towards sustainability objectives and targets.

    Table 2: Explanation of symbols for indicating progress towards SD objectives and targets

Ocean health

Accomplishing the goal of a clean, healthy and productive ocean requires an integrated approach that addresses different pressures. To monitor SDG 14 in the EU context, indicators have been chosen that focus on ocean acidification, eutrophication and bathing water quality. The EU is committed to improving water quality in marine waters and coastal areas in the sea basins around the EU. It aims to do this through a range of land-based and marine policies, by active engagement in Regional Sea Conventions, the EU sea-basin and macro-regional strategies, and support to its outermost regions. As a result, some positive trends have been emerging for bathing water quality and the reduction of point-source pollution through improved wastewater treatment. The ocean, however, has continued to acidify as a result of global climate change.

Seawater acidification remains on an upward trajectory

Seawater acidification occurs when increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere are absorbed by the sea. Dissolved atmospheric CO2 reacts with water molecules and increases the hydrogen ion concentration in the ocean, thus increasing ocean acidity. The global yearly ocean carbon uptake shows that the sea has absorbed more carbon as atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have risen [1]. While the ocean helps to mitigate atmospheric warming by absorbing this greenhouse gas, its capacity to do so is limited and the added CO2 fundamentally changes the ocean’s chemistry. Acidification reduces calcification and affects biochemical processes such as photosynthesis, with knock-on effects for entire ecosystems [2]. Because cold water absorbs more CO2, polar regions are disproportionately affected by acidification. Research has shown that organisms relying on calcification (for example, mussels, corals and plankton) and photosynthesis (plankton and algae) are particularly vulnerable to increased acidity [3]. A decline in the extent of coral reefs does not only lead to habitat loss for many species and impacts on the food web, but also increases flood risk due to coastal erosion.

The Copernicus Marine Services has been monitoring ocean acidification since 1985. Over the whole period from 1985 to 2024, the mean concentration of hydrogen ions in surface seawater in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Black Sea increased by 17.2%, reaching 8.76 nanomoles per litre (nmol/l). This corresponds to a pH value of 8.06, which is considerably below pre-industrialisation surface seawater pH levels, which had varied between 8.3 and 8.2. Ocean acidification in EU marine areas has accelerated slightly in recent years, with the hydrogen ion concentration increasing by 8.2% since 2009 and by 3.0% since 2019. Unless CO2 emissions are significantly reduced, ocean acidification is projected to double or triple by 2100. Mitigating climate change (see SDG 13) is thus vital for reaching the SDG target 14.3 on minimising seawater acidification.

Pollution continues to threaten the marine environment

In addition to acidification, Europe’s marine ecosystems continue to be under threat from organic and chemical pollutants from human activities, as well as marine litter and noise pollution. Excessive nutrient loads from agriculture and municipal wastewater – in particular compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen — cause eutrophication, which can lead to problematic algal blooms and oxygen depletion, with severe consequences for the marine ecosystem’s health and biodiversity.

The Copernicus Marine Service monitors all EU sea basins for oxygen depletion and measures anomalies in chlorophyll-a levels as an indicator of eutrophication. The chlorophyll data show strong annual fluctuations in the area of EU marine waters affected. Since 2004, eutrophication has affected between 5 000 and slightly above 50 000 square kilometres (km2) of EU marine waters, corresponding to between 0.07% and 0.71% of the EU’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In 2024, almost 43 000 km2 of EU marine waters were affected by eutrophication, corresponding to 0.61% of the EU’s EEZ. A smoothed four-year moving average for the trend assessment reveals that over the five-year period from 2019 to 2024 the area affected by eutrophication rose by 33% in the EU. At the same time, the long-term trend since 2009 shows no clear development, with the 2024 value (based on the four-year moving average) being almost the same as it was in 2009. An analysis from the European Environment Agency (EEA) covering the period 1980 to 2021 shows that while some locations demonstrated a decline in chlorophyll-a, indicating an improvement in the water quality, most areas (94.5% of cases) have shown no significant trend since 1980. Particularly in the Baltic and Greater North Seas, eutrophication remains a large-scale problem. However, the EEA’s analysis also shows that levels of nutrient input, specifically nitrogen, have significantly decreased during this period.

Chemical pollution from hazardous substances, marine plastic litter and microplastics is another relevant threat to the marine environment. Chemical pollution stems from a number of land-based and marine sources, including agriculture (through the application of pesticides and veterinary medicines), industry, households and the transport sector. Of particular concern are persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which degrade slowly and can bioaccumulate in the food chain. Marine litter, such as plastic bottles and packaging, can also break down into smaller particles through photodegradation, releasing chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates into the water. All in all, the transfer of toxic chemicals from the litter into the food web is already taking place at large scale and ultimately poses combined risks on marine life and human health such as organ failure, reduced fertility and increased cancer [4]

Estimates of plastic litter entering Europe’s oceans are highly tentative, due to a lack of data. However, the European Commission estimates that 150 000 to 500 000 tonnes of plastic enter the EU’s marine waters every year, with most of it being carried to the sea by rivers. Accordingly, 75% of the marine areas assessed by the EEA are classified as polluted. Plastic pollution has many harmful effects on the marine environment, for example it traps and strangles marine animals or is ingested by them. Marine litter can come from both sea- and land-based sources, with the latter accounting for 80% (most of which is plastic). Single-use plastics account for about 50% of all marine litter on European beaches [5]. Based on a Commission initiative, in 2019 the European Parliament and the Council adopted for the first time a European Directive on Single-Use Plastics targeting these plastics and fishing gear alongside other plastic products.

Noise, caused by ships and offshore activities such as oil and gas exploration industry, is one of the most widespread human induced pressures in the marine environment [6]. Noise pollution can negatively affect marine life, causing increased stress and resulting in behavioural changes that can impact animals’ foraging and reproductive abilities. Furthermore, the constant noise frequencies released by ships potentially obscure the sounds that various marine species, such as whales and dolphins, make to communicate, hunt, navigate and protect themselves. According to the European Maritime Transport Environmental Report 2025, underwater radiated noise from ships in EU waters increased steadily between 2014 and 2019, with a slight decrease in 2020 likely to have been due to reduced maritime traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2023, noise levels rose again, but they have not yet returned to 2019 levels.

Human-induced eutrophication, contaminant concentrations, marine litter and noise pollution are common multiple pressures that must be minimised for marine waters to achieve good environmental status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and good ecological status for coastal waters under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

European coasts continue to offer a high number of bathing waters with excellent quality

Coastal water quality is affected by land-based pollution from sewage, agriculture run-off, and surface run-off from coastal cities, which can carry hazardous chemicals, nutrients and plastic litter and microplastics. The resulting pollution puts significant pressure on aquatic ecosystems and underwater life.

In the EU, recent developments have been quite favourable in this regard, and as a result the quality of the EU’s coastal bathing waters has improved almost continuously. Across the EU, the share of coastal bathing waters with ‘excellent’ quality grew from 81.3% in 2011 to 88.8% in 2023, even though the trend has slowed in recent years. One of the most important factors affecting the quality of these waters is microbiological contamination. It should be noted that the bathing water indicator provides only a limited view of pollution in European seas because it is focused on the shore and transitional waters but excludes waters further away from the coast [7]. In addition, because the classification of bathing water quality considers datasets reported for the past four bathing seasons, this indicator does not tend to fluctuate greatly from year to year.

Marine conservation

The lives of European citizens depend in many ways on the services marine ecosystems provide, including climate regulation, fish and seafood provision, coastal protection, cultural value, recreation and tourism. Against this backdrop, the European Commission and Member States have taken multiple steps to combat the destruction and degradation of aquatic and coastal habitats and biodiversity, which poses a serious threat to human livelihoods, food security and climate stability [8]. A crucial step has been the designation of a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) [9], in which some human activities are subject to stricter regulation. The degree of protection and hence the effectiveness of MPAs depends on the management plan regulating each protected area. Management measures may range from a total ban on fishing, mining or wind power generation, to a more moderate protection regime where economic activity is restricted, for example, allowing only certain types of fishing methods. However, many MPAs still lack comprehensive management plans or permit some level of commercial or recreational exploitation of fisheries [10]. One of the commitments taken by the international community at the 2022 One Ocean summit and the UN COP15 on Biodiversity has been to designate new MPAs to achieve the goal of 30% of marine space under protection by 2030. This goal is also supported by the BBNJ Agreement and is included in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. With the ambition to accelerate the implementation of SDG 14 globally, the EU pledged 52 commitments worth up to EUR 7 billion at the UN Ocean Conference in June 2022.

The extent of marine protected areas has been growing too slowly in the EU, and the conservation status of marine habitats and species remains unfavourable

A 2019 report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) revealed that a high proportion of marine species and habitats across Europe’s seas are still in ‘unfavourable conservation status’ and that the marine ecosystem condition is generally not 'good'. One approach to protect the state of marine ecosystems is the designation of MPAs.

Between 2012 and 2022, the extent of marine protected areas grew from 216 972 square kilometres (km2) to 628 749 km2. However, most of this growth took place between 2012 and 2019, while the designation of additional MPAs has slowed since then. In 2022, MPAs represented only 12.3% of overall EU marine area, and efforts will need to increase significantly for the EU to meet its 30% target by 2030. Since 2019, MPA coverage has grown in 12 out of the 22 EU Member states with a sea border. The largest relative improvements were reported from Italy and France, where the extent of protected areas increased by 80% and 20%, respectively, from 2019 to 2022.

Growth in the extent of protected areas alone does not provide a good indication of how well species and habitats are being protected. In fact, the EU currently has no overview or assessment of how effective the management plans associated with designated MPAs in EU regional seas are. In a special report on the marine environment, the European Court of Auditors concluded that EU MPAs provide limited protection in practice.

Research suggests that MPAs may help increase fish populations inside their borders. The benefit for nearby fisheries depends on the MPA’s age, local conditions and if it's part of a larger MPA network [11]. The Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 requires the Commission, in cooperation with Member States and the EEA, to advance criteria and guidelines for the identification and designation of new protected areas, as well as for coherent management planning. The European Commission adopted an action plan for protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries. This action plan calls on the EU Member States to take measures for minimising the by-catch of sensitive species and for prohibiting mobile bottom fishing in certain MPAs, owing to their high impact on seabed species and habitats. This objective is flanked by the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters and the EU Blue Parks Community Initiative.

Sustainable fisheries

Besides pollution, the unsustainable use of living resources is the main threat to marine habitats and species in the EU. An ecosystem-based approach to managing Europe’s fishing fleets is provided for under the EU’s common fishing policy and is required for biodiversity conservation.

Governance of fisheries in EU waters mainly focuses on fair access and sustainable supply. The European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) aims to ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term and are managed in a way that achieves economic, social and employment benefits, and contributes to the availability of seafood supplies. The CFP limits the total amount of fish catches and controls who is allowed to fish how, when and where to prevent damage to vulnerable marine ecosystems and preserve fish stocks. Thus, the CFP’s ambition and implementation will directly affect whether SDG 14 is achieved, in particular its aim of ending overfishing, destructive and/or illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices, and subsidies that encourage these activities. In addition, unsustainable fisheries are a major threat to marine ecosystems through seabed degradation and the bycatch of non-target species (such as birds and cetaceans). The CFP empowers Members States and the Commission to regulate fisheries so they comply with the obligations of the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).

Fisheries in EU marine waters have become more sustainable

European fisheries affect fish stock productivity and stock size through catches. However, because stock size also varies naturally, managing fisheries is a complex exercise. Controlling fishing mortality is one way of managing fisheries. Fishing mortality (F) reflects the proportion of fish of a given age that is caught by fisheries during one year. For fisheries to be sustainable, fishing mortality should not exceed the maximum sustainable yield (FMSY), which is the largest catch that can be taken from a fish stock over an indefinite period without harming it.

The model based median value of all F/FMSY stock assessments can be used to estimate fishing pressures on fish stocks. Values above 1.0 mean the current fishing mortality (F) exceeds the estimated maximum sustainable yield (FMSY). The results for EU marine waters show a 51% reduction in fishing pressure, from 1.56 in 2007 to 0.76 in 2022. This overall figure aligns with the fact that fish stocks both in the North-East Atlantic (including the Baltic Sea) and in the Mediterranean and Black Sea were on average fished sustainably (F/FMSY median of 0.59 in 2023 in the North-East Atlantic and F/FMSY median of 0.94 in 2022 in the Mediterranean and Black Sea). This means that while in the North-East Atlantic almost 80% of fish stocks were exploited sustainably in 2023, this share was slightly below 50% in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in 2022 [12]. In this context, it is important to mention the negative consequences of decreased freshwater flow on marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea, affecting the biomass of commercial fish and invertebrate species, with lowest flows observed in 2022 [13]. Amidst this background and despite an improving trend, the EU needs to further increase efforts in these sea regions to meet its own targets for sustainable fisheries.

The EU’s approach to sustainable fisheries is not limited to respecting MSY. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive requires commercially exploited fish and shellfish populations to have a healthy distribution of age and size. The status of stocks and their reproductive capacity can be measured and described by fish stock biomass as well as by spawning stock biomass (SSB). Biomass estimates are, however, associated with high levels of uncertainty due to the high annual variability of stock biomass. Fish stocks can also take time to respond to changes in management measures, and results can be masked by other factors, such as environmental conditions and predation [14]. For this reason, analyses of stock biomass trends should always focus on longer term patterns. Model-based estimates show a 16% increase in fish stock biomass in EU marine waters between 2007 and 2022. In the short term between 2017 and 2022, growth in fish stock biomass amounted to 4%.

Main indicators

Mean surface seawater acidity


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for mean surface seawater acidity for the period from 2009 to 2024 shows moderate movement away from the sustainability objectives. The short-term evaluation for the period 2019 to 2024 also shows moderate movement away from the sustainability objectives.

This indicator shows the yearly mean concentration of hydrogen ions in surface seawater in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Black Sea, expressed in nanomoles per litre (nmol/l). An increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions corresponds to a decline in pH values and an increase in seawater acidity. This trend is caused by an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, which increases the uptake of CO2 by the ocean. The Copernicus Marine Service has reconstructed the trends in global ocean acidification from 1985 onwards.

A line chart showing the mean surface seawater acidity in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Black Sea, from 1985 to 2024, expressed in nanomoles per litre.
Figure 1: Mean surface seawater acidity in the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Black Sea, 1985–2024 (nmol/l)
Note: y-axis does not start at 0.
Source: EEA, Copernicus Marine Service, Eurostat (sdg_14_51)

Marine waters affected by eutrophication


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for marine waters affected by eutrophication for the period from 2009 to 2024 shows no progress towards nor movement away from sustainability objectives. The short-term evaluation for the period 2019 to 2024 shows significant movement away from the sustainability objectives.

Eutrophication is the process by which an excess of nutrients — mainly phosphorus and nitrogen — leads to increased growth of plant material, particularly planktonic algae, in an aquatic body, resulting in a decrease in water quality. This can, in turn, cause death by hypoxia of aquatic organisms. Anthropogenic activities, such as farming, agriculture, aquaculture, industry and sewage, are the main source of nutrient input in problem areas. This indicator shows the extent of eutrophic marine waters in the EU's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). An area is classified as eutrophic if chlorophyll-a concentrations, as a proxy, are above the 90th percentile of the 1998–2017 reference base line for more than 25% of the observation days in a given year. The Copernicus Marine Service calculates the indicator from satellite imagery.

A line chart with two lines showing the square kilometres of marine waters affected by eutrophication, in the EU from 2000 to 2024. The lines show the annual data and the four-year moving average.
Figure 2: Marine waters affected by eutrophication, EU, 2000-2024 (km2)
Source: Mercator Ocean International, Copernicus Marine Service, Eurostat (sdg_14_60)


A double vertical bar chart showing marine waters affected by eutrophication, by country in 2019 and 2024, as a percentage of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the EU and EU Member States. The bars show the years.
Figure 3: Marine waters affected by eutrophication, by country, 2019 and 2024 (% of exclusive economic zone (EEZ))
Source: Mercator Ocean International, Copernicus Marine Service, Eurostat (sdg_14_60)


Bathing waters with excellent quality


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for Bathing waters with excellent quality from 2011 to 2023, both for coastal and inland bathing waters, shows moderate progress towards sustainability objectives. The short-term evaluation for the period 2018 to 2023, for coastal waters shows moderate progress towards sustainability objectives, and for inland waters shows moderate movement away from the sustainability objectives.

This indicator shows the share of inland and coastal bathing waters with excellent quality in the EU and is calculated based on the moving average of 16 sampling events in four years to be sure that most weather events are covered. Bathing water quality is assessed according to standards for microbiological parameters (intestinal Enterococci and Escherichia coli). The Bathing Water Directive (BWD) requires Member States to identify and assess the quality of all inland and marine bathing waters and to classify these waters as ‘poor’, ‘sufficient’, ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ depending on the levels of faecal bacteria detected. The data presented in this section stem from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and are based on Member States reporting under the BWD.

A line chart with two lines showing percentage of bathing waters with excellent quality, by location, in the EU from 2011 to 2023. The lines show percentages for coastal waters and inland waters.
Figure 4: Bathing waters with excellent quality, by location, EU, 2011–2023 (% of bathing waters)
Note: y-axis does not start at 0.
Source: EEA, Eurostat (sdg_14_40)


A double vertical bar chart showing percentage of bathing waters with excellent quality, by location, by country in 2023 in the EU, EU Member States and other European countries. The bars represent percentages for coastal waters and inland waters.
Figure 5: Bathing waters with excellent quality, by location, by country, 2023 (% of bathing waters)
Source: EEA, Eurostat (sdg_14_40)

Marine protected areas


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for marine protected areas for the period 2012 to 2022 shows significant progress towards the EU target. The short-term evaluation for the period 2019 to 2022 shows insufficient progress towards the EU target.

This indicator measures the extent of marine protected areas (MPAs) in EU marine waters in square kilometres and as a share of the EU’s marine area. MPAs are biodiversity ‘hotspots’ and can serve various objectives including species and habitats protection, biodiversity conservation and restoration, but also resource use within defined ecological boundaries. MPAs may also positively impact neighbouring areas. The indicator comprises nationally designated protected areas and Natura 2000 sites. A nationally designated area is an area protected by national legislation. The Natura 2000 network comprises both marine and terrestrial protected areas designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives with the goal to maintain or restore a favourable conservation status for habitat types and species of EU interest. The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 aims to protect at least 30% of land and sea in Europe, including both nationally designated sites and Natura 2000 sites. Data provided by the Member States to the Commission are consolidated by the European Environment Agency and collected by European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment.

A vertical bar chart with a dot showing the marine protected areas as a percentage of marine areas for the years 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022 in the EU. The dot shows the 2030 target.
Figure 6: Marine protected areas, EU, 2012–2022 (% of marine area)
Source: EEA, Eurostat (sdg_14_10)


A double vertical bar chart showing the marine protected areas as a percentage of marine areas, by country, in 2019 and 2022 in the EU and EU Member States. The bars show the years.
Figure 7: Marine protected areas, by country, 2019 and 2022 (% of marine area)
Source: EEA, Eurostat (sdg_14_10)

Estimated trends in fish stock biomass


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for estimated trends in fish stock biomass for the period 2007 to 2022 shows significant progress towards sustainability objectives. The short-term evaluation for the period 2017 to 2022 shows moderate progress towards sustainability objectives.

Fish stock biomass is a function of biological characteristics such as abundance and weight and can indicate the status of a fish stock when measured against reference values. This is a model-based indicator that is computed using results from single-species quantitative stock assessments. It shows the median value of fish stock biomass relative to 2003. The full time series is updated every year, sometimes including new stocks due to newly available quantitative assessments which can result in small differences from one release year to the next.

A line chart with three lines showing the estimated trends in fish stock biomass, by fishing area, from 2003 to 2023, indexed to 2003. The lines represent the estimated trends for EU total marine waters, Northeast Atlantic (or the FAO area 27) and the Mediterranean and Black Sea (FAO area 37).
Figure 8: Estimated trends in fish stock biomass, by fishing area, 2003–2023 (index 2003 = 100)
Note: y-axis does not start at 0.
Source: Joint Research Centre (JRC) — Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), Eurostat (sdg_14_21)

Estimated trends in fishing pressure


The long-term evaluation of the indicator for estimated trends in fishing pressure for the period 2007 to 2022 shows significant progress towards sustainability objectives. The short-term evaluation for the period 2017 to 2022 also shows significant progress towards sustainability objectives.

The indicator presents the model-based median value of fishing pressure (F/FMSY) in EU marine waters of the North-East Atlantic and adjacent seas (FAO area 27) and the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (FAO area 37) for which current fishing mortality (F) exceeds the estimated fishing mortality consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield (FMSY). Fishing mortality is a measure for death or removal of fish from a population due to fishing. The fishing mortality consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield is determined by the long-term average stock size that allows fishing at this level. For fisheries to be sustainable, F should not exceed FMSY — the point at which the largest catch can be taken from a fish stock over an indefinite period without harming it. The model-based median value of fishing pressure (F/FMSY) indicates the trend of exploitation: values below 1 indicate sustainable fishing levels (F ≤ FMSY).

A line chart with three lines and a highlighted area showing the estimated trends in fishing pressure as a model-based median value of fishing pressure, by fishing area, from 2003 to 2023. The lines represent the estimated trends for EU total marine waters, Northeast Atlantic (or the FAO area 27) and the Mediterranean and Black Sea (FAO area 37); and the highlighted area represents the sustainable fishing level.
Figure 9: Estimated trends in fishing pressure, by fishing area, 2003–2023 (model-based median value of fishing pressure (F/FMSY))
Source: Joint Research Centre (JRC) — Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), Eurostat (sdg_14_30)

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2019), IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA.
  2. ↑ Hoegh-Guldberg, O., R. Cai, E.S. Poloczanska, P.G. Brewer, S. Sundby, K. Hilmi, V.J. Fabry, and S. Jung (2014), The Ocean. In: Climate Change (2014), Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part B: Regional Aspects, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 1655–1731.
  3. ↑ European Environment Agency (2017), Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2016 — An indicator-based report, EEA Report No 1/2017, Copenhagen.
  4. ↑ Sameh S. Ali, Mohammed Hussein M. Alsharbaty, Rania Al-Tohamy, Michael Schagerl, Majid Al-Zahrani, Michael Kornaros and Jianzhong Sun (2025), Microplastics as persistent and vectors of other threats in the marine environment: Toxicological impacts, management and strategical roadmap to end plastic pollution, Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 7, 229–251.
  5. ↑ Addamo, A. M., Laroche, P., Hanke, G. (2017), Top Marine Beach Litter Items in Europe, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
  6. ↑ European Environment Agency (2019), Marine Messages II: navigating the course towards clean, healthy and productive seas through implementation of an ecosystem based approach, EEA Report No 17/2019, Copenhagen.
  7. ↑ Article 5 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defines the normal baseline as the low-water mark as marked on large scale-charts by the coastal State.
  8. ↑ European Commission (2021), Assessment of the existing EU policy tools in the field of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and other ocean-related Agenda 2030.
  9. ↑ European Environment Agency (2015), Marine protected areas in Europe's seas — An overview and perspectives for the future, EEA Report No 3/2015, Copenhagen.
  10. ↑ European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (2025), Mapping of Marine Protected Areas and their associated fishing activities: Baltic and North Seas, Atlantic EU Western Waters and Outermost Regions (MAPAFISH), Final Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg; and European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (2025), Mapping of Marine Protected Areas and their associated fishing activities: Mediterranean and Black Seas (MAPAFISH–MED), Final Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
  11. ↑ European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (2024), Assessing spillover from marine protected areas to adjacent fisheries – Baltic and North Seas, Atlantic EU Western Waters and Outermost Regions, Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
  12. ↑ Source: Eurostat (env_bio5).
  13. ↑ Macias, D., Bisselink, B., Carmona-Moreno, C., Druon, J.-N., Duteil, O., Garcia-Gorriz, E., Grizzetti, B., Guillen, J., Miladinova, S., Pistocchi, A., Piroddi, C., Polimene, L., Serpetti, N., Stips, A., Trichakis, I., Udias, A., & Vigiak, O. (2025), The overlooked impacts of freshwater scarcity on oceans as evidenced by the Mediterranean Sea. Nature Communications, 16: 998.
  14. ↑ Measuring the Effect of Catch Shares (2018), Has the status of fish stocks changed? Biological indicators: Biomass.

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More detailed information on EU SDG indicators for monitoring of progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as indicator relevance, definitions, methodological notes, background and potential linkages can be found in the introduction as well as in Annex II of the publication ’Sustainable development in the European Union — Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context — 2025 edition’.

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