Global Fishing Index: a global dataset of relative biomass of fish stocks in national waters

The Global Fishing Index (GFI) is an independent global assessment of the state of marine fisheries, measuring country-level progress towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Target 14.4. This stock-level dataset provides estimates of relative biomass (current biomass relative to historic ‘unfished’ biomass) and reconstructed catch for 1,438 unique marine fish stocks, spanning the national waters of 142 maritime countries. The dataset includes biomass estimates for 2018 from stock assessments published by national and regional authorities, as well as estimates made using data-limited models (the Bayesian Schaefer Model and CMSY++) and publicly available data. To ensure the integrity and reliability of stock-level data included in the GFI 2021 sustainability dataset, the data were subject to a comprehensive and rigourous quality assurance process, including both internal and external expert review. This global dataset advances scientific knowledge on the state of fisheries globally, serves as a benchmark to track progress and inform future studies, and supports improved research and management to advance global efforts towards fisheries sustainability.