Aquaculture has surpassed traditional fishing to become the primary source of fish globally, with India emerging as one of the leading aquaculture hubs. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aquaculture production has, for the first time, exceeded the catch from traditional fisheries.
A Reuters report highlights that just ten countries—China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, South Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile—account for nearly 90% of all aquaculture production. Aquaculture, or aquafarming, involves the cultivation of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants and algae in controlled environments.
The latest biennial report on the state of world fisheries, released by the Rome-based FAO, indicates that global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record 223.2 million tonnes in 2022. Of this, aquaculture production alone accounted for an unprecedented 130.9 million tonnes, with 94.4 million tonnes being aquatic animals—51% of the total aquatic animal production.
“These numbers demonstrate the potential for aquaculture to feed the growing world population,” FAO Assistant Director-General Manuel Barange told Reuters. “It’s been the fastest-growing food production system in the world for the last five decades,” he added.
The FAO emphasizes the importance of developing the aquaculture industry in other regions, especially Africa, which is currently a net importer of fish. Critics, however, warn that aquafarming can harm the environment and introduce disease and invasive species into the wild. The FAO contends that proper regulation and monitoring can mitigate these risks.
The global per capita annual consumption of aquatic animal foods, a crucial protein source for millions worldwide, increased to 20.7 kg in 2022, up from 9.1 kg in 1961. This figure is expected to rise further in the coming years, according to the report.
The haul from captured fisheries has remained stable since the late 1980s, totaling 92.3 million tonnes in 2022. However, recent data shows that 37.7% of fish stocks in the world’s marine fisheries were classified as overfished in 2021, continuing an upward trend from 10% in 1974.
“The issue of sustainability is of great concern to us,” Barange said, noting that many larger commercial fisheries, including tuna stocks, are now approaching 90% levels of sustainability. “This is a remarkable improvement over the last decade,” he said. Barange added that 80% of the top 10 marine species consumed by humans are being sustainably exploited.