Global fishing industry in the spotlight
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has produced its "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report. Fish consumption is climbing worldwide, which the FAO says is contributing to unregulated fishing.
Never-ending growth?
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released its latest biennial report "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture," analyzing global fishing industry data. The report finds that world per capita fish consumption is now at its highest level ever. On average humans each consumed 19.2 kilograms (43.22 pounds) of fish in 2012, up from 9.9 kilograms per year in the 1960s.
Important food source
Fish is an important source of protein in the human diet. A 150 gram portion of fish can provide up to 60 percent of an adult's daily protein requirements. In densely-populated countries where total protein intake levels may be low, fish is an especially useful nutrition source.
Pacific up, Med down
Despite fish consumption going up, global fishing in the open seas seems to be leveling off. Parts of the Pacific Ocean still have very high catch rates, while yields are dropping in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, river and lake fishing is growing rapidly, but it still makes up less than 13 percent of the total worldwide fishing industry.
Tuna fishing booming
Catches of tuna and tuna-like species measured some 7 million metric tons in 2012, according to the FAO report. However, as a result of overfishing, some species such as the southern bluefin tuna have come dangerously close to the point of extinction. Shrimp also gained in popularity with consumers in 2012, with consumption rates now at their highest level ever.
Aquaculture thriving
Also known as aquafarming, aquaculture is the rearing of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans or aquatic plants. It involves cultivating freshwater or saltwater populations under controlled conditions on land or in the sea, rather than harvesting the animals in the wild. The industry is now worth $144.4 billion (105.06 billion euros) a year worldwide.
China: the world leader
China is responsible for most of the growth in fish consumption around the world, due to the major expansion of its fishing industry, especially via the use of aquaculture. The country farmed some 43.5 million metric tons of fish and 13.5 million metric tons of aquatic algae in 2012. The trend is likely to continue: Chinese fish consumption rates are going up domestically, too.
New players, new technology
While China is the world leader in aquaculture, countries such as Chile and Egypt have now become major fish producers, often using new techniques. Brazil is also increasing its aquaculture output. Land-based aquaculture farms have another benefit: if set up correclty they can be used to grow vegetables or fruit at the same time, via a process called aquaponics.
Overfishing still a problem
Overfishing occurs when more fish are caught than the population can replace through natural reproduction. One of the countries worst affected is Thailand. Media reports also say that overfishing is causing fish stocks to dwindle in the East China Sea. Critics say that controls on the net sizes and fishing techniques being used by Chinese fishers are almost non-existent.
Sharks in danger
In the last two decades, the plight of sharks has received growing attention from the public and decision-makers worldwide. After peaking in the year 2000, shark fishing raters are now declining. The authors of the FAO report say this is due to two factors: an increase in conservation efforts and the fact that there are simply fewer sharks in the wild to be caught.
A major global threat
The authors of the FAO report conclude that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, so-called "IUU fishing" is a threat to fishing areas, ecosystems and economies worldwide. IUU fishing often occurs when fishing fleets move into coastal waters where they shouldn't be. By illegally exploiting fishing grounds, the fleets reduce the quantity and quality of available catch for local fishers.