STATE OF FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE (SOFIA) 2022 REPORT

Global fisheries and aquaculture production is at a record high and the sector will play an increasingly important role in providing food and nutrition in the future, according to a new report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Global fisheries and aquaculture production is at a record high and the sector will play an increasingly important role in providing food and nutrition in the future, according to a new report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The biannual report, the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA 2022) found that fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 214 million tonnes in 2020, while the consumption of aquatic food (excluding algae) has increased at an average annual rate of 3.0 percent since 1961, almost twice that of the annual world population growth. Even though the sustainability of marine fishery resources remains of concern, most of the catch is coming from sustainable sources.

SOUNDBITE (English) Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO:

“Currently 65 percent of our fish stocks are sustainably fished, 35 percent are unsustainable fished. This is a deterioration. However, we also see the opposite trend in the volume of fish that comes from sustainable sources. 80 percent of the fish that comes to the market is actually from sustainable sources. And what this shows us in fact, combining these two figures, is that the bigger fish stocks are better managed, more effectively managed than the smaller fish stocks and that already tells us part of the solution.”

The international trade of fisheries and aquaculture products generated around USD 151 billion in 2020, down from the record high of USD 165 billion in 2018 mainly due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which significantly slowed the production and affected fishermen’s earnings.

SOUNDBITE (English) Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO:

“The other issue that is worrying concern for us is that in 2022, the price of fish has gone through the roof - 12 percentage points increase in the first two months of 2022 as a result of a Ukrainian conflict. And this means that again, the consumer has difficulties in being able to buy a proper, nutritious food.”

Driven by expansion in Chile, China and Norway, global aquaculture production in 2020 (including algae) grew in all regions of the world, except Africa, reaching a record 122.6 million tonnes, with Asia dominating the world’s aquaculture production, accounting for 91.6 percent of the total output.

However, according to SOFIA, aquaculture growth has often occurred at the expense of the environment and the sustainable aquaculture development remains critical to supply the growing demand for aquatic foods.

SOUNDBITE (English) Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO:

“Fish products are actually a perfect nature based solution. If we manage them properly, we can get a continuous supply of food, high quality food, to feed a growing population. But for that we need to ensure that we manage resources properly.”

To ensure the food as well as nutrition security, FAO has underlined three priorities: intensification and expansion of sustainable aquaculture worldwide and particularly in food deficit regions, ensuring that all of fish stocks are under effective management and ensuring effective development of value chains of aquatic products.

SOUNDBITE (English) Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO:

“There is a transformation happening in recognition of the role of aquatic foods for food security and nutrition. For that, FAO is starting a Blue Transformation initiative to make sure that this transformation that is happening in the sector is more targeted, more directed and more focused on our objective which is ending hunger and ending poverty.”

According to report, global consumption of aquatic foods, excluding algae, has increased at an average annual rate of 3.0 percent since 1961, compared with a population growth rate of 1.6 percent. On a per capita basis, consumption of aquatic food has grown from an average of 9.9 kg in the 1960s to a record high of 20.5 kg in 2019.

The percentage of fishery stocks within biologically sustainable levels decreased to 64.6 percent in 2019, 1.2 percent lower than in 2017. However, 82.5 percent of the 2019 landings were from biologically sustainable stocks, a 3.8 percent improvement from 2017.

An estimated 58.5 million people were employed in the primary sector. Including subsistence and secondary sector workers, and their dependents, it is estimated that about 600 million livelihoods depend at least partially on fisheries and aquaculture. The international trade of fisheries and aquaculture products generated around USD 151 billion in 2020, down from the record high of USD 165 billion in 2018 mainly due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Published biennially since 1994, the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report is a critical reference for governments, policymakers, practitioners, academics and civil society organizations because it provides the latest available data and information aimed at advancing the sustainable development of the sector, and increasing its contribution to global food security, nutrition and livelihoods.