Global Food

“2020 The Status of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report released

The global per capita fish consumption has set a new record of 20.5 kg per year, and is expected to increase further in the next decade, which highlights the key role of fish in global food and nutrition security.

The latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pointed out that sustainable aquaculture development and effective fisheries management are essential to maintaining the above trends.

According to the "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" (hereinafter referred to as SOFIA), by 2030, total fish production will increase to 204 million tons, an increase of 15% from 2018, and the share of aquaculture will also be 46% from the current 46% Has grown. This increase is about half of the increase in the past ten years, converted into per capita fish consumption in 2030, which is estimated to be 21.5 kg.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: “Fish and fishery products are not only recognized as the healthiest food in the world, but also belong to the food category with less impact on the natural environment.” He emphasized that fish and fishery products must be food safe at all levels. And play a key role in nutrition strategy".

Director General also pointed out that the SOFIA report shows that there is more and more evidence that effective fisheries management can make fish stocks grow steadily or recover, and that poor implementation of measures threatens their contribution to food security and livelihoods. The root causes of the failure of sustainable measures are complex and require solutions tailored to local conditions.

According to SOFIA's benchmark analysis, currently about 34.2% of fish populations are caught at a biologically unsustainable level, and the overall proportion is too high. And globally, this trend has not improved, although 78.7% of fish caught ashore belong to biologically sustainable stocks, which is a bit of relief. In addition, the sustainability trends of many major species are improving.

In 2018, the catch of various species of tuna reached about 7.9 million tons, a record high. Now, two-thirds of the fish population is at a biologically sustainable fishing level, and the proportion of sustainable fishing is just short. An increase of ten percentage points within two years proves that intensive fishery management is indeed effective in this industry characterized by the pursuit of high-value commodities and severe overcapacity in some fleets.

"This improvement is the result of the joint efforts of many stakeholders. It proves the importance of active management to achieve and maintain biological sustainability, and highlights the urgency of promoting such methods in fisheries sectors and regions with weak management systems." Manuel Barange, Director of FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, said, “As expected, we noticed that sustainable development is particularly difficult in areas where hunger, poverty and conflict exist, but we have no choice but to sustainable solutions.”

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Although the compilation of SOFIA is based on information before the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the benchmark information contained in it still provides a reference for FAO to formulate relevant technical solutions and targeted interventions to respond to the epidemic in the fisheries and agricultural sectors. The Director-General has pointed out that And agriculture are the two sectors most affected by the epidemic.

The SOFIA appendix released by FAO shows that due to restrictions and labor shortages caused by health emergencies, global fishing activities may have been reduced by about 6.5%.

The hindrance of international transportation has hit the export of aquatic products particularly severely, and the rapidly shrinking tourism and restaurant closures have also greatly affected the distribution channels of many products, despite the fact that the long shelf life of frozen, canned, pickled and smoked fish retail remains Stable or increase. In parts of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, more than 90% of small-scale fishermen are forced to stop fishing because they cannot sell their catch, and this situation is often exacerbated by falling prices.

Input market conditions, immigrant labor issues, and the risks of a crowded fresh market all have an impact on fishery output and consumption. Among them, informal supply chains lack contractual relationships and cold chains are the most under pressure. FAO is mainly committed to supporting, restarting and strengthening the supply chain and livelihoods of the sector, with priority given to the most vulnerable groups and regions.

Global fish supply trends

The SOFIA report contains fishing data classified by species, region and source of capture (wild or farmed).

It is estimated that the global fish production in 2018 was about 179 million tons, and the total value of the first sale was estimated at 401 billion US dollars. Aquaculture products account for 46% of total production and 52% of human fish consumption. China's production has consistently ranked first in the world. Since 1991, the highly developed aquaculture industry has provided the country with a large number of aquaculture products, which is more than the sum of other parts of the world.

SOFIA stated that the aquaculture industry will continue to expand, although the growth rate will slow down, and farmed fish will occupy a larger share of consumption and trade in the next decade. It is estimated that Africa’s aquaculture production will increase by 48%, helping to alleviate the expected decline in per capita fish consumption in Africa due to population growth.

Driven by the strong rebound in production in Peru and Chile, the Peruvian anchovy has become the most fished species in the ocean, followed by Alaska pollock and bonito. As an important food source for many food-constrained countries, inland fisheries have set a record high of 12 million tons.

Fish consumption accounts for one-sixth of the global population’s animal protein intake. In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and several small island developing States, fish consumption accounts for animal protein intake. More than half of the amount.

The Director-General of FAO emphasized that the important dietary value of fish highlights the importance of developing aquaculture, which is of great significance to Africa. For this reason, strategic measures must be adopted to promote the use of feed, genetic selection, biosecurity and commercial development. Innovative technologies to promote sustainable aquaculture production. He also pointed out that FAO's "hand in hand" initiative is "an ideal framework for all parties to jointly respond to fisheries and aquaculture trends and challenges in the context of blue growth."

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, this FAO report has a dedicated section on sustainable development measures. The report also pointed out that FAO is working with many partners to implement the "Clarification of Hidden Catch" "The project, the results of this global research will be released in the second half of 2020, aiming to promote small-scale fisheries support policies and promote the efficient, sustainable and fair development of small-scale fisheries.

Small-scale fisheries are capable and do provide basic nutrition for billions of people, and provide livelihoods and jobs for the vast majority of the 120 million people who depend on the fishing industry.

The key data in "The Status of World Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2020"

2018 global fish production: 179 million tons

The output of marine capture fishery: 84.4 million tons

Freshwater capture fishery output: 12 million tons, a record

Aquaculture production: 82.1 million tons, a record high

Amount used for human food consumption: 156 million tons

The first sales value of all fishery and aquaculture products in 2018: US$401 billion

The first sales value of aquaculture products: US$250 billion

Employment in the primary sector of fisheries and aquaculture: 59.5 million

Percentage of women: 14%

The area with the most fishermen and fish farmers: Asia (85% of the total)

Number of fishing vessels in the world: 4.56 million

The region with the most fishing vessels: Asia (3.1 million vessels, 68% of the global fishing vessels)

Share of motor boats within 12 meters in length: 82%

Percentage of global fish production entering international trade: 38%

The output value of fish for export: 164 billion US dollars

The world's largest fish producer and exporter: China

Net fish export regions: Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asian developing countries

Africa is a net importer by volume and a net exporter by value

The most unsustainable areas for fisheries development: Mediterranean and Black Sea (62.5% of overfished populations), Southeast Pacific (54.5%), Southwest Atlantic (53.3%)

The main sources of inland capture fisheries production: Mekong, Nile, Irrawaddy, Yangtze River 

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