A global synthesis of microplastic contamination in wild fish species: Challenges for conservation, implications for sustainability of wild fish stocks and future directions

Research on the occurrence of microplastics in wild fish populations is a constantly growing area, requiring continuous reviews to properly keep up with the fast pace of publications and guide future work. This review analyses the scientific output of 260 field studies covering 1053 different fish taxa for the presence of microplastics. To date, microplastics have been recorded in 830 wild fish species, including 606 species of interest to commercial and subsistence fisheries. Among these, based on IUCN Red List status, 34 species are globally classified in one of the three threatened categories (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) and another 22 species were assessed as “Near Threatened”. Of the species for which the IUCN Red List tracks population trend data, the fish species reported to have microplastics so far include 81 which are recorded as declining, 134 as stable and just 16 as increasing. This review highlights the potential implications of fish microplastic contamination to biodiversity conservation, sustainability of wild fish stocks, and human food safety and security. Finally, recommendations for future research are presented.