Sustainability implications of honouring the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

► The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries includes recommendations for reducing the impacts of fishing. ► Widespread low compliance with the Code may be due to a lack of empirical support for its overall ecological benefits. ► We observed that better implementation of the Code may have had overall positive ecological effects. ► Increased ecosystem sustainability is observed after adoption of the Code at high levels, but degradation takes place below a threshold. ► Individual countries may adopt well-established fishery management in order to increase the ecological sustainability of marine resources.