The forthcoming State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 report, due to be made public shortly, indicates that world aquaculture production has for the first time outstripped capture fisheries.
According to the report, global fisheries and aquaculture production in 2022 grew to 223.2 million tonnes, a 4.4% increase since 2020, comprising 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 37.8 million tonnes of algae. Of this, global aquaculture production reached an unprecedented 130.9 million tonnes, of which 94.4 million tonnes are aquatic animals, representing 51% of the total.
‘FAO welcomes the significant achievements thus far, but further transformative and adaptive actions are needed to strengthen the efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability of aquatic food systems and consolidate their role in addressing food insecurity, poverty alleviation and sustainable governance,’ said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.
‘That’s why FAO advocates Blue Transformation, to meet the overall requirements of better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.’
FAO states that targeted policies, technology transfer, capacity building and responsible investment are crucial to boost sustainable aquaculture where it is most needed, especially in Africa.
Global consumption of aquatic foods continues to grow
Global apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods reached 162.5 million tonnes in 2021. This figure has increased at nearly twice the rate of the world population since 1961, with global per capita annual consumption rising from 9.1kg in 1961 to 20.7kg in 2022.
Of total aquatic animal production, 89% was used for direct human consumption, underscoring the critical role of fisheries and aquaculture in maintaining global food security.
The remainder was destined for indirect or non-food uses, mainly fishmeal and fish oil production.
Global capture fisheries levels have remained stable since the late 1980s. In 2022, the sector produced 92.3 million tonnes, comprising 11.3 million tonnes from inland and 81 million tonnes from marine capture. Despite the growth in aquaculture, capture fisheries remain an essential source of aquatic animal production.
The proportion of marine stocks fished within biologically sustainable levels, however, decreased to 62.3 percent in 2021, 2.3% lower than in 2019. When weighted by production level, an estimated 76.9% of the 2021 landings from stocks monitored by FAO were from biologically sustainable stocks.
Further takeaway figures from the forthcoming SOFIA report are that an estimated 61.8 million people were employed in the primary sector of fisheries and aquaculture in 2022, down from 62.8 million in 2020. Women made up 24% of the overall workforce but 62% in the processing subsector. Gender inequality issues remain, including differences in wages, insufficient recognition of women’s contribution to the sector, and gender-based violence.
Image: ©FAO/Saikat Mojumder
