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1046. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024

1046. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024
On June 7, the FAO 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) was released, reporting that global fisheries and aquaculture production broke records and that aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries in aquatic animal production for the first time.
According to the report, the global fisheries and aquaculture industry produced 223.2 million tons in 2022, an increase of 4.4% compared to 2020. The breakdown was 185.4 million tons of aquatic animals and 37.8 million tons of algae. Global aquaculture production reached 130.9 million tons, of which 94.4 million tons were aquatic animals, accounting for 51% of the total aquatic animal production.
Today, a small number of countries dominate aquaculture, with the top 10 aquaculture producers accounting for 89.8% of total production: China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Philippines, South Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile. Many low-income countries in Africa and Asia are not tapping into their potential and are in need of capacity building.
Expanding aquaculture production is essential to solving food security and nutrition problems. In 2021, the estimated global farmed animal consumption reached 162.5 million tons, an increase that doubled the rate of global population growth, with annual per capita consumption doubling from 9.1 kg in 1961 to 20.7 kg in 2022. It is estimated that 89% of all aquaculture products are consumed directly, with the remainder consumed as non-edible fishmeal and fish oil. It is also estimated that farmed foods provide 15% of the world's high-quality animal protein and 6% of total protein, as well as micronutrients such as fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Clearly, there is a need to ensure a sustainable supply.
Global capture fisheries production has been stable since the 1980s, with production in 2022 at 92.3 million tons, of which 11.3 million tons were from inland fisheries and 81 million tons from marine fisheries. Despite the growth of aquaculture, capture fisheries remain important and require sustainable management.
By 2032, aquaculture production is expected to rise by 10%, while consumption is expected to increase by 12% to reach 21.3 kg per capita. Changes in dietary habits due to rising incomes and urbanization are expected to lead to an increase in production and consumption. However, production in Africa is expected to slow down and per capita consumption is expected to decline, which could cast a shadow over the nutritional problems of countries that rely on aquatic foods for animal protein and micronutrients. The report further emphasized the importance of blue transformation for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, stating that a 22% increase in current production is needed to sustain the current per capita consumption of 20.7 kg by 2050.
Reference
FAO. 2024. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024. Blue Transformation in action. Rome.
Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program