The state of fish stocks in the world’s ocean is worse than previously thought. While overfishing has long been blamed on fisheries policies that set catch limits higher than scientific recommendations, a new study reveals that even these scientific recommendations were often too optimistic. Dr Rainer Froese from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Dr Daniel Pauly from the University of British Columbia have provided their insights on the study. In their Perspective Paper, published today in the journal Science alongside the new study, the two fisheries experts call for simpler yet more accurate models and a more conservative approach to stock assessments.