Global Aquaculture Industry

Globally the aquaculture sector continues to be the fastest growing animal food producing sector and is now able to provide half of all fish consumed worldwide.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation concluded in its 2008 report on the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) that aquaculture continues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and, for the first time, is able to provide half of all fish consumed worldwide.

The report highlights some key facts and figures:

• The contribution of aquaculture to global supplies of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals has continued to grow, increasing from 3.9 per cent of total production by weight in 1970 to 36% in 2006.
• The average contribution of aquaculture to per capita fish available for human consumption rose from 14% in 1986, to 30% in 1996, to 43% in 2004.
• At 51.7 million tonnes aquaculture accounted for 47% of the world's fish food supply in 2006 and it can be expected to reach 50% in the next few years.
• The aquaculture sector consumed about 3.06 million tonnes (or 56%) of world fishmeal production and 0.78 million tonnes (or 87%) of total fish oil production in 2006. Thus, the total amount of fishmeal and fish oil used in aquafeeds is estimated to have grown more than threefold between 1992 and 2006, from 0.96 million tonnes to 3.06 million tonnes and from 0.23 million tonnes to 0.78 million tonnes respectively.

Three year supply outlook

See: The UN FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2010

Also: Seafish summary of SOFIA 2010