The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022

[박대선]

2022 

THE STATE OF 

WORLD FISHERIES  AND AQUACULTURE 

TOWARDS 

BLUE TRANSFORMATION 

This flagship publication is part of The State of the World series of the Food and Agriculture Organization  of the United Nations. 

Required citation: 

FAO. 2022. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. Towards Blue Transformation. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0461en 

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ISSN 1020-5489 (print) 

ISSN 2410-5902 (online) 

ISBN 978-92-5-136364-5 

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COVER PHOTOGRAPH ©Theerawat Payakyut | Dreamstime.com 

THAILAND. Preparing the fishing nets on a boat. 

ISSN 1020-5489 

THE STATE OF  

WORLD FISHERIES  AND AQUACULTURE 

TOWARDS 

BLUE TRANSFORMATION 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 

Rome, 2022

CONTENTS 

FOREWORD vi METHODOLOGY viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS x ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS xiii KEY MESSAGES xvi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xviii 

PART 1 

WORLD REVIEW 1 Global fisheries and aquaculture at a glance 1 Total fisheries and aquaculture production 5 Capture fisheries production 10 Aquaculture production 26 The status of fishery resources 46 Fishing fleet  59 Employment in fisheries and aquaculture 66 Utilization and processing of fisheries and  

aquaculture production 73 Consumption of aquatic foods 81 Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products 91 

PART 2 

TOWARDS BLUE TRANSFORMATION 109 Blue transformation: a vision for transforming  aquatic food systems 109 Intensifying and expanding sustainable  

aquaculture production 111 Improving fisheries management 126 Innovating fisheries and aquaculture  

value chains 136 The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries  and Aquaculture 2022 147 

PART 3 

BLUE TRANSFORMATION TO ACHIEVE  

THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE  

DEVELOPMENT 157 Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals 157 United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for  Sustainable Development (2021–2030) 169 United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 175 

PART 4 

EMERGING ISSUES AND OUTLOOK 195 COVID-19, a crisis like no other 195 Fisheries and aquaculture adaptations  

to climate change 200 Advancing towards gender equality in  

fisheries and aquaculture 207 Fisheries and aquaculture projections  211 

GLOSSARY 224 REFERENCES 226 

 TABLES  

1 World fisheries and aquaculture production,  

utilization and trade 3 

2 Marine capture production: major producing  

countries and territories  14 

3 Marine capture production: major species  

and genera 16 

4 Inland and marine capture production: FAO  

major fishing areas 18 

5 Inland waters capture production: major  

producing countries and territories 22 6 World aquaculture production and growth 28 

7 World aquaculture production by region and  

selected major producers 30 

8 Inland aquaculture and marine and coastal  

aquaculture production by region and by main  

species group, 2020 38 

9 Contribution of cage and pen culture to inland  finfish aquaculture production in selected  

countries 39 

10 World production of major aquaculture species  (including species groups) 43 

11 Reported number of vessels by motorization  

and LOA class in fishing fleets from selected  

countries and territories, 2020 67 | ii |

12 World employment for fishers and fish farmers  by region for selected years, 1995–2020 68 

13 Employment in processing of aquatic products  by country for selected years, 1995–2020 74 

14 Total and per capita apparent consumption of  aquatic foods by region and economic class, 2019 85 

15 Key issues and solutions for strengthening  fisheries management capacity in data- and  capacity-limited contexts 135 

16 Trends in the rate of reporting by FAO  

Members on SDG Indicator 14.6.1 by region,  2018–2022 164 

17 Trends in the rate of reporting by FAO  

Members on SDG Indicator 14.b.1 by region,  2018–2022 168 

18 Projected fisheries and aquaculture  

production to 2030 213 

 FIGURES  

1 World capture fisheries and aquaculture  

production 4 

2 World fisheries and aquaculture production:  utilization and apparent consumption 4 

3 World capture fisheries and aquaculture  

production (excluding and including algae) 7 

4 Share of world total fisheries and aquaculture  production by inland and marine waters 8 

5 Regional contribution to world capture fisheries  and aquaculture production 9 

6 World capture fisheries and aquaculture  

production by ISSCAAP divisions, in absolute  values and percentage, 2020 11 

7 Trends in global captures 12 8 Top ten global capture producers, 2020 13 

9 Marine capture production, average  

2018–2020 15 

10 Marine capture production: trends in three  main categories of fishing areas 20 

11 Top five inland waters capture producers 23 

12 Inland capture production by country, average  2018–2020 24 

13 World aquaculture production, 1991–2020 27 

14 Annual growth rate of aquatic animal  

aquaculture production by continent, 1990–2020 29 

15 Production distribution of selected main species  groups and type of aquaculture, 2005–2020 31 

16 Contribution of aquaculture to total fisheries  

and aquaculture production (excluding algae) by  region, 2000–2020 34 

17 Fisheries and aquaculture growth comparison  by country group by income level (excluding algae),  1990–2020 36 

18 Share of aquaculture in total fisheries and  

aquaculture production by major species group,  

2020 37 

19 Reduction in scale of cage and pen aquaculture  in inland waters in China (mainland) in recent years 40 

20 Composition of marine and coastal  

aquaculture production by main species group,  

2016–2020 41 

21 Fed and non-fed aquaculture production of  

animal species by region, 2000–2020 42 

22 Production of air-breathing fishes in inland  

aquaculture, 1990–2020 45 

23 Global trends in the state of the world’s marine  fishery stocks, 1974–2019 47 

24 Percentages of biologically sustainable and  

unsustainable fishery stocks by FAO Major Fishing  Area, 2019 48 

25 The three temporal patterns in fisheries  

landings, 1950–2019 49 26 State of major inland fisheries by region 58 

27 Distribution of the world’s fishing vessels by  

continent, 2020 62 

28 Fishing fleet size by motorization status, China,  2000–2020 62 

29 Fishing fleet size by motorization status,  

EU-27, 2000–2020 63 

30 Proportion of global fishing vessels with and  

without engine by continent, 2020 64 | iii |

CONTENTS 

31 Size distribution of motorized fishing vessels by  continent, 2020 64 

32 Share of employment in the primary sector of  fisheries and aquaculture by continent 69 

33 Time use categories reporting in the primary  sector of fisheries and aquaculture 70 

34 Sex-disaggregated data on employment in the  primary sector of fisheries and aquaculture by  region, 2020 72 

35 Utilization of world fisheries and aquaculture  production, 1961–2020 75 

36 Utilization of fishmeal and fish oil 78 

37 Share of raw material utilized for reduction  into fishmeal and fish oil, 2020 79 

38 Average annual growth in aquatic food  

consumption 82 

39 Aquatic food consumption by continent,  

1961–2019 83 

40 Apparent aquatic food consumption per capita  by country, average 2017–2019 84 

41 Aquatic food consumption and contribution to  animal protein intake by economic class, 2019 87 

42 Contribution of plant and animal proteins to  global average daily protein intake, 2019 88 

43 Contribution of aquatic foods to animal protein  supply per capita by country, average 2017–2019 89 

44 Relative contributions of aquaculture and  capture fisheries to aquatic foods available for  human consumption 90 

45 Global export value of aquatic food products  and terrestrial meats, 2020 92 

46 World merchandise and aquatic product  export value, fixed-base indices (1976 = 100),  1976–2020 92 

47 Percentage of global value of imports of  

aquatic products by economic class, 1976–2020 93 

48 Global aquatic imports between high-income  countries and non-high-income countries by  value, 2020 94 

49 Top ten importing countries of aquatic  

products by value, 2020 95 

50 Unit value of imports of aquatic products by  

economic class of importers, 1976–2020 95 

51 Percentage of global value of exports of  

aquatic products by economic class, 1976–2020 96 

52 Top ten exporting countries of aquatic  

products by value, 2020 97 

53 Trade flows of aquatic products by region  

(share of total imports, in value), 2020 98 54 FAO Fish Price Index 101 

55 Share of main groups of species in exports of  aquatic products by value, 2020 104 

56 Traceability in value chains of aquatic  

products: a simple representation 142 57 FAO Blue Fishing Ports initiative 145 58 Key messages of IYAFA 2022 149 

59 The contributions of small-scale fisheries  

(SSF) to sustainable development 152 60 Uptake of the SSF Guidelines prior to IYAFA 2022 154 

61 Progress in the degree of implementation of  

international instruments aimed at combating IUU  fishing by region, 2018–2022 (SDG Indicator 14.6.1) 164 

62 Economic contribution of fisheries and  

aquaculture, 2019 (SDG Indicator 14.7.1) 165 

63 Progress in the degree of application of a  

legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework  

which recognizes and protects access rights for  

small-scale fisheries by region, 2018–2022  

(SDG Indicator 14.b.1) 167 

64 Discover, Connect, Take Action: The United  

Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable  Development (2021–2030) 173 

65 Number of marine species listed in CITES  

over time 185 

66 RFMO bottom fisheries management areas in  areas beyond national jurisdiction 188 

67 Examples of disruptions, adaptation and  

mitigation strategies, and lessons emerging from  the COVID-19 crisis 196 

68 Adaptive management cycles showing an  

additional feedback loop to address the dynamic  nature of climate change 202 

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69 Risk maps of losing salmon biomass due to  harmful algal blooms under climate change  

projections 205 

70 World capture fisheries and aquaculture  

production, 1980–2030 212 

71 World capture fisheries and aquaculture  

production, 1980–2030 214 

72 Annual growth rate of world aquaculture,  1980–2030 215 

73 Contribution of aquaculture to regional  

fisheries and aquaculture production 216 74 World fishmeal production, 1990–2030 217 75 Increasing role of aquaculture 218 

 BOXES  

1 More than seven decades of FAO fisheries and  aquaculture statistics 2 

2 Impacts of COVID-19 on global fisheries and  aquaculture production and related statistics 6 

3 Improving the FAO periodic assessment of the  state of world fishery resources 50 

4 Example of a basin assessment: Lake Malawi/ Niassa/Nyasa 60 

5 Global fishing fleets performance 65 

6 Relevance of sex-disaggregated employment  data: the case of the processing sector 71 

7 Key findings of report on role of aquatic foods  in nutrition 86 

8 Transformation of Asian aquaculture 113 

9 A Global Plan of Action for aquatic genetic  resources for food and agriculture 115 

10 Progressive Management Pathway for  

Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity 116 11 Offshore aquaculture 121 

12 Aquaculture Field Schools in Africa: the  

impact on youth and women 125 

13 Intelligent partnerships: powerful planning  and delivery mechanisms in times of crisis –  example of a project in Mozambique 127 

14 Regulation, monitoring and control of  

transshipment to reduce the risk of 

IUU-caught fish entering the market 129 15 Measuring management effectiveness   131 

16 Information and communication technology  

for small-scale fisheries (ICT4SSF) 134 

17 FISH4ACP – unlocking the potential of  

sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value  

chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific 139 

18 Renewable energy use in small-scale fisheries  and aquaculture value chains 141 

19 Fish and other aquatic foods in healthy diets  

and sustainable food systems 146 

20 SDG Target 2.5 as it applies to genetic  

diversity of aquatic resources 158 

21 FAO contributions to SDG 14 conservation  

indicators on biodiversity and ecosystem function 160 

22 Quality assurance process for SDG 14.4.1  

national indicators 162 

23 Towards enhanced reporting and expanded  

coverage on SDG Indicator 14.7.1 through  

capacity-building actions – country examples 166 

24 Positioning aquatic foods for nourishing  

nations by 2030 and beyond 170 25 Digital innovation for species identification 172 

26 Hand-in-Hand spatial multi-criteria decision  

analysis in Nigeria 176 27 Rebuilding fisheries 179 

28 Operationalizing OECMs in the fisheries sector  – how do we make it a success? 187 

29 Inland fisheries 190 30 Highlights of the Glasgow Climate Pact 201 

31 Fostering climate change adaptation and  

mitigation through improved coastal management 203 32 Successful women’s entrepreneurial activities 208 

33 Potential fisheries and aquaculture scenarios  to 2050 220 

34 Ukraine: preliminary impact of the conflict on  the fisheries and aquaculture sector 223 

| v |

FOREWORD 

Despite significant previous progress, the world  is off track to end hunger and malnutrition in  all its forms by 2030. Degraded ecosystems,  an intensifying climate crisis, and increased  biodiversity loss are threatening jobs, economies,  the environment and food security around  the globe, all aggravated by the impacts of  the COVID-19 pandemic, crises and other  humanitarian emergencies. Today, 811 million  people suffer from hunger and 3 billion cannot  afford healthy diets. 

This has elevated the calls to urgently transform  our agrifood systems to ensure food security,  improve nutrition and secure affordable  healthy diets for a growing population,  while safeguarding livelihoods and our  natural resources. 

Aquatic foods are increasingly recognized for  their key role in food security and nutrition,  not just as a source of protein, but also as a  unique and extremely diverse provider of  essential omega-3 fatty acids and bioavailable  micronutrients. Prioritizing and better integrating  fisheries and aquaculture products in global,  regional and national food system strategies and  policies should be a vital part of the necessary  transformation of our agrifood systems. 

The 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries  and Aquaculture – Towards Blue Transformation – builds on this narrative by presenting  quantitative evidence of the growing role of  fisheries and aquaculture in providing food,  nutrition and employment. In 2020, fisheries  and aquaculture production reached an  all-time record of 214 million tonnes, worth  about USD 424 billion. Production of aquatic  animals in 2020 was more than 60 percent higher  than the average in the 1990s, considerably  outpacing world population growth, largely  due to increasing aquaculture production.  We are eating more aquatic foods than ever –  about 20.2 kg per capita in 2020 – more than  

double our consumption rate 50 years ago.  Globally, aquatic foods provide about 17 percent  of animal protein, reaching over 50 percent in  several countries in Asia and Africa. The sector  employs an estimated 58.5 million people in  primary production alone – approximately  21 percent women. 

This report also highlights further changes  needed in the fisheries and aquaculture  

sector to address the challenges of feeding the  world effectively, equitably and sustainably.  Its subtitle, Towards Blue Transformation,  

reflects the acceleration required to achieve a  sustainable, inclusive and efficient sector able to  meet expectations, the urgent need to integrate  sustainably harvested aquatic foods into national  food system policies and programmes, and  opportunities to contribute to restoring aquatic  habitats and biodiversity. 

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 is underpinned by a significant policy context.  First, the Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries  and Aquaculture, unanimously endorsed in  

2021 by the Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO  Committee on Fisheries (COFI), concludes with a  call to support “an evolving and positive vision  for fisheries and aquaculture in the twenty-first  century, where the sector is fully recognized for  its contribution to fighting poverty, hunger and  malnutrition.” Second, this 2022 edition coincides  with the implementation of three relevant United  Nations Decades, namely the Decade of Action  to deliver the Global Goals, the Decade of Ocean  Science for Sustainable Development, and the  Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Finally, the  report is launched as we approach the middle  of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries  and Aquaculture 2022. The policy landscape  could not be more ambitious and the moment  more opportune to transform towards more  efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more  sustainable aquatic food systems to help achieve  the Sustainable Development Goals. 

| vi |

Since its first edition in 1995, The State of World  Fisheries and Aquaculture has provided technical  insight and evidence-based information on a  sector crucial to societal success. It serves a  wide audience – from policymakers, managers  and scientists, to fishers and consumers – to  demonstrate and enhance the vital role and  

| vii |

contributions of fisheries and aquaculture to  achieve better production, better nutrition, a  better environment and a better life for all,  leaving no one behind. I am confident that this  edition will continue the tradition of making  valuable contributions in helping us meet the  challenges of the twenty-first century. 

Qu Dongyu 

FAO Director-General 

METHODOLOGY 

Preparation of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 started in April 2021. It is the work of a  12-member editorial board representing the various teams of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division  (NFI), guided by a core executive group of the NFI Information and Knowledge Management Team and a  representative of the FAO Office of Communications. Chaired by the Director of NFI, the editorial board  met regularly to develop and refine the structure and content, review progress and address emerging  issues. This work benefited from wider consultation among the FAO teams in charge of the five FAO  flagship publications. 

Between May and June 2021, topics and contributors were proposed for consideration by the editorial  board, which developed and refined the outline, involving virtually all officers in the division and some  from other FAO divisions, with FAO decentralized officers contributing regional insights and stories.  Notably, the board drew inspiration from high-level global events, starting from the recommendations  of the Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, enshrined in its Declaration for  Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, which calls on Members “to support an evolving and positive  vision for fisheries and aquaculture in the twenty-first century, where the sector is fully recognized for its  contribution to fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition.” 

The editorial board expanded the 2020 three-tiered structure of the publication, with a view to thoroughly  addressing Blue Transformation. Under Parts 2 and 3, Blue Transformation anchors this edition at the  centre of the FAO Strategic Framework 2022–2031 in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development, with a focus on the United Nations “Decades”, namely the Decade of Action to deliver the  Global Goals, the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the Decade on Ecosystem  Restoration. Furthermore, preparation of the draft took place during a period of unprecedented challenges  driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused temporary and permanent structural changes in the  sector. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 attempts to address the changes that are likely to  become mainstream as the fisheries and aquaculture sector emerges from the crisis.  

With these ingredients in hand, the editorial board adopted a structure in four parts. Part 1, World Review,  owing to its historical high readership, was maintained. Part 2, Towards Blue Transformation, focuses on  issues coming to the fore in 2021–2022. It examines the key challenges of the three pillars underpinning  Blue Transformation, namely expansion and intensification of aquaculture production to satisfy growing  demand, improvement of fisheries management to deliver healthy stocks, and upgrading and innovation  of fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Part 3 explores pathways for concrete actions during the  decade – focusing on the relevant Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, the need for scientific  development and innovation, and the mainstreaming of ecosystem restoration and biodiversity – to enable  Blue Transformation to effectively support achieving the Global Goals. Part 4 covers emerging issues and  projections (outlook). In addition, this 2022 edition includes, for the first time, an Executive Summary,  which covers the entire publication and not only the global trends.  

On the basis of the revised structure, various editorial board members were assigned the leadership of a  thematic section. Most contributions were prepared by FAO authors, in collaboration with external experts  where appropriate (see Acknowledgements).  

In July 2021, a summary was prepared with the inputs of all section leaders and revised based on feedback  from the editorial board. The summary document was submitted to NFI’s management, then to the  FAO Deputy Director-General (Natural Resources and Sustainable Development stream) for approval in  mid-July 2021. This document formed the blueprint guiding authors in the drafting of the publication.  

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Parts 2, 3 and 4 were drafted between September 2021 and January 2022 and edited for technical and  language content. In Part 3, the SDG section was finalized in March to allow integration of the most recent  data (February 2022) from the United Nations Statistics Division regarding the four SDG 14 indicators  under FAO custodianship. In February–March, these parts were submitted in batches for translation  into FAO’s six official languages and for review by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and the  editorial board.  

Part 1, World Review, is based on FAO’s official fisheries and aquaculture statistics. To reflect the most  up-to-date statistics available, drafting began in November 2021 and ended in February–March 2022 upon  annual closure of the various thematic databases in which the data are structured. The statistics are the  outcome of an established programme to ensure the most reliable information, including assistance to  enhance countries’ capacity to collect and submit data according to international standards. The process is  one of careful collation, revision and validation. In the absence of national reporting, FAO makes estimates  based on the best data available from other sources or through standard methodologies.  

Developments in recent decades in fisheries and aquaculture, characterized by the sector’s increasing  role in food security, human nutrition and trade, have been accompanied by a major expansion of the  associated terminology. This has necessitated a thorough review to ensure coherence throughout The State  of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 and the use of clear and intuitive terms as defined by authoritative  sources of FAO or others. A working group was set up to complete this task and a Glossary was elaborated  to assist authors, editors and readers.  

An advanced draft was externally reviewed in March 2022 by three well-known experts in the area of  fisheries and aquaculture. A final draft was approved by the Office of the FAO Deputy Director-General  (Natural Resources and Sustainable Development stream) and the Office of the FAO Director-General. 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 was prepared under the overall direction of Manuel  Barange and an editorial board under his leadership, comprising Lahsen Ababouch, Vera Agostini, Marcio  Castro de Souza, Ruth Duffy, Eszter Hidas, Alessandro Lovatelli, Ana Menezes, Rebecca Metzner, Marc  Taconet, Gilles van der Walle, Stefania Vannuccini and Kiran Viparthi.  

Authorship of each section was led and coordinated by a different editorial board member. The production  process was overseen by Marc Taconet with support from Lahsen Ababouch (technical editing), Emmanuel  Blondel (map production), Ruth Duffy (language editing and project management) assisted by Marianne  Guyonnet (liaison), and Kiran Viparthi (informatics). 

Main authors (all affiliated with FAO, unless otherwise stated) were: 

 PART 1  

Global fisheries and aquaculture at a glance: Lahsen Ababouch (lead author) and Stefania Vannuccini Total fisheries and aquaculture production: Stefania Vannuccini (lead author)  

Capture fisheries production: James Geehan (lead author)  

Aquaculture production: Xiaowei Zhou (lead author)  

The status of fishery resources: Yimin Ye (lead author, Marine), John Valbo-Jørgensen (lead author, Inland),  Tarub Bahri, Pedro Barros, Nicolas Gutierrez, Rishi Sharma, Merete Tandstad, Marcelo Vasconcellos, Simon  Funge-Smith, Abigail Lynch, Gretchen Stokes, Samuel Smidt and Jesse Wong (United States Geological  Survey and University of Florida)  

Fishing fleet: Jennifer Gee (lead author), Pierre Maudoux and Raymon van Anrooy  

Employment in fisheries and aquaculture: Jennifer Gee (lead author) and Pierre Maudoux  Utilization and processing of fisheries and aquaculture production: Stefania Vannuccini (lead author), Ansen Ward,  Omar Riego Peñarubia, Jogeir Toppe and Molly Ahern  

Consumption of aquatic foods: Adrienne Egger (lead author) and Molly Ahern  

Trade of fisheries and aquaculture products: Adrienne Egger (lead author) and Felix Dent 

 PART 2  

Blue Transformation: a vision for transforming aquatic food systems: Manuel Barange (lead author) and  Carlos Fuentevilla  

Intensifying and expanding sustainable aquaculture production (coordinator Alessandro Lovatelli): Objectives and targets: Xinhua Yuan (lead author), Alessandro Lovatelli and Simon Funge-Smith  Better production systems: Xinhua Yuan (lead author), Alessandro Lovatelli, Daniela Lucente, Kwang Suk Oh,  Graham Mair and Melba Reantaso  

Good governance for aquaculture expansion: Ana Menezes (lead author), Pierre Murekezi and Nathanael  Hishamunda  

Aquaculture investments for Blue Transformation: Junning Cai (lead author), Raymon van Anrooy, Nicole Franz,  Nathanael Hishamunda, Alessandro Lovatelli and Neil Sims (CEO, Ocean Era Inc., Hawaii)  Aquaculture innovative practices: Xinhua Yuan (lead author) and Alessandro Lovatelli  Capacity development, research and partnerships in aquaculture: Ana Menezes (lead author), Xinhua Yuan and  Martinus Van der Knaap  

Improving fisheries management (coordinators Rebecca Metzner and Eszter Hidas):  

Objectives and targets: Rebecca Metzner (lead author), Nicolas Gutierrez and John Valbo-Jørgensen  Better governance and policy reform: Terje Lobach (lead author), Piero Mannini, Giuliano Carrara and Kristín  von Kistowski  

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Better management and production: Pedro Barros (lead author), Rebecca Metzner, John Valbo-Jørgensen, Felix  Martinn, Alicia Mosteiro, Nicolas Gutierrez and Yimin Ye  

Best practices, innovations and technologies for improving fisheries management: José Antonio Acuña Barros (lead  author), Kim Stobberup, Raymon van Anrooy, Kristín von Kistowski, Javier Villanueva García-Benítez and  Nicole Franz  

Better lives: Social protection and decent work: Daniela Kalikoski (lead author), Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen, Uwe  Barg, Daniella Salazar Herrera, Mariana Toussaint and Nicole Franz  

Supporting fisheries management in data- and capacity-limited regions: Nicola Gutierrez (lead author), Simon  Funge-Smith and Stefania Vannuccini  

Innovating fisheries and aquaculture value chains (coordinators Marcio Castro de Souza and Gilles van de Walle):  Competitive value chains: Marcio Castro de Souza (lead author), Weiwei Wang, William Griffin, Nianjun Shen,  Ansen Ward, Omar Riego Peñarubia, John Ryder, Esther Garrido Gamarro, Gilles van de Walle, Jogeir  Toppe and Dimitar Taskov  

Transparent and responsible value chains: Nianjun Shen (lead author), Nada Bougouss, Dimitar Taskov, Shelley  Clarke, Eszter Hidas, Audun Lem, John Ryder, Marcio Castro de Souza and Mariana Toussaint  Integrated and resilient value chains: Nianjun Shen (lead author), José Aguilar-Manjarrez, John Ryder, Marcio  Castro de Souza, Weiwei Wang, William Griffin, Jogeir Toppe and Molly Ahern  

The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (coordinator Rebecca Metzner):  The purpose of the International Year: Nicole Franz (lead author), Lena Westlund and Alessandro Lovatelli  The IYAFA 2022 Global Action Plan: seven pillars contributing to achieving the SDGs: Nicole Franz (lead author), Molly  Ahern, Jennifer Gee, Daniela Kalikoski, Alessandro Lovatelli, Graham Mair, Florence Poulain, Lena  Westlund and Xinhua Yuan  

Illuminating Hidden Harvests: the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development: Nicole Franz (lead  author) and Lena Westlund  

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture: contributing to food systems and nutrition security: Molly Ahern (lead author)  Partnerships to advance the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries: Lena  Westlund (lead author) and Nicole Franz  

PART 3  

Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals (coordinator Marc Taconet):  

The Sustainable Development Goals and fisheries and aquaculture: Audun Lem (lead author), Marc Taconet, Graham  Mair, Diana Fernandez Reguera, Michael Griffin, Kim Friedman and Daniela Lucente  SDG Indicator 14.4.1 – quantifying fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels: Marc Taconet (lead author), Yimin  Ye, Nicolas Gutierrez, Rishi Sharma and Anne-Elise Nieblas  

SDG Indicator 14.6.1 – assessing degree of implementation of international instruments to combat illegal, unreported and  unregulated fishing: Piero Mannini (lead author) and Giuliano Carrara  

SDG Indicator 14.7.1 – measuring sustainable fisheries contributions to national economies: Marcio Castro de Souza (lead  author), Weiwei Wang and Michael Griffin  

SDG Indicator 14.b.1 – assessing degree of recognition and protection of access rights for small-scale fisheries: Nicole Franz  (lead author), Stefania Savore and Giuliano Carrara  

United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) (coordinator Vera Agostini):  Science opportunities for fisheries and aquaculture management: Diana Fernandez Reguera (lead author), Vera  Agostini, Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted (Global Lead, Nutrition and Public Health, WorldFish, CGIAR,  author of Box 24), Kim Friedman and Rishi Sharma  

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

What is the Ocean Decade?: Joseph Zelasney (lead author), Merete Tandstad, Anton Ellenbroek, Marc Taconet  and Vera Agostini  

FAO and the Decade Actions: Joseph Zelasney (lead author), Merete Tandstad, Marc Taconet, Anton Ellenbroek,  Vera Agostini and Nelson Rosas Ribeiro Filho  

United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (coordinator Eszter Hidas):  

Fisheries and aquaculture and the FAO–UNEP-led Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: Kim Friedman (lead author), Diana  Fernandez Reguera and Vera Agostini  

Fisheries and aquaculture and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: Kim Friedman (lead author), Vera Agostini  and Amber Himes-Cornell  

Recovery actions for vulnerable species and habitats: Kim Friedman, Amber Himes-Cornell, Merete Tandstad,  Anthony Thompson, John Valbo-Jørgensen and David Coates  

Optimizing sustainable biodiversity use, including mitigating ecosystem impacts, through technology and innovation: Graham  Mair, Johnathan Lansley and Amparo Perez Roda  

PART 4  

COVID-19, a crisis like no other: Florence Poulain (lead author), José Estors Carballo, Lionel Dabbadie, Alejandro  Flores, Jennifer Gee, Kathrin Hett, Robert Lee, Daniela Kalikoski, Jon Lansley, Felix Marttin, Daniella  Salazar Herrera, Jessica Sanders, Susana Siar and Martinus Van der Knaap  

Fisheries and aquaculture adaptations to climate change: Xuechan Ma (lead author), Tarub Bahri, José  Aguilar-Manjarrez, Diana Fernandez Reguera, Yacoub Issola (UNEP/Abidjan Convention), Florence  Poulain and Fatou Sock  

Advancing towards gender equality in fisheries and aquaculture: Jennifer Gee (lead author), Roxane Misk, Maria  Grazie Cantarella, Matteo Luzzi and Omar Riego Peñarubia  

Fisheries and aquaculture projections: Stefania Vannuccini (lead author) and Manuel Barange  

The publication also benefited from external review by Malcolm Beveridge (Faskally, United Kingdom  of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), Mark Dickey-Collas (International Council for the Exploration of  the Sea, Denmark) and Doris Soto (Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research, Chile). They are  acknowledged for their significant contributions. The report was reviewed internally by Vera Agostini,  Manuel Barange and the editorial board, as well as by colleagues in other technical divisions of FAO  beyond the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.  

Translations were delivered by the Language Branch (CSGL) of the FAO Governing Bodies Servicing  Division (CSG).  

The Publications Branch (OCCP) in FAO’s Office of Communications (OCC) provided editorial support,  design and layout, as well as production coordination, for editions in all six official languages.  

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 

2030 Agenda 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development 

ABMT area-based management tool ABNJ areas beyond national jurisdiction AIS Automatic Identification System 

ALDFG abandoned, lost or otherwise  discarded fishing gear 

AqGR aquatic genetic resources for food  and agriculture 

AU African Union 

B2B business-to-business 

B2C business-to-consumer 

BBNJ biodiversity beyond national  jurisdiction 

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CDS catch documentation scheme 

CEM Commission on Ecosystem  Management 

CFS Committee on Food Security CGIAR CGIAR System Organization 

CITES Convention on International Trade  in Endangered Species of Wild  

Fauna and Flora 

Code Code of Conduct for Responsible  Fisheries 

COFI Committee on Fisheries 

COFI:AQ COFI Sub-Committee on  

Aquaculture 

COFI:FT COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade 

COP26 twenty-sixth session of the  Conference of the Parties 

COVID-19 coronavirus disease 2019 

DHA docosahexaenoic acid 

EAA ecosystem approach to aquaculture EAF ecosystem approach to fisheries 

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EATIP European Aquaculture Technology  and Innovation Platform 

ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin  America and the Caribbean 

EPA eicosapentaenoic acid 

EU European Union 

EUMOFA European Market Observatory for  Fisheries and Aquaculture Products 

FBS FAO Food Balance Sheets 

FIAT Fisheries Infrastructure  Assessment Tool 

FLW food loss and waste 

FPI FAO Fish Price lndex 

GAF Gender in Aquaculture and  Fisheries Section 

GCA Global Conference on Aquaculture GDP gross domestic product 

GESAMP United Nations Joint Group of  Experts on the Scientific Aspects of  

Marine Environmental Protection 

GFCM General Fisheries Commission for  the Mediterranean 

GGGI Global Ghost Gear Initiative 

GIES Global Information Exchange  System 

GIS geographic information system GPS global positioning system 

GSA Guidelines for Sustainable  Aquaculture 

GTA gender-transformative approach HIHI Hand-in-Hand Initiative 

HLPE High-Level Panel of Experts on  Food Security and Nutrition 

HLPF United Nations High-level Political  Forum on Sustainable Development 

HS Harmonized Commodity  Description and Coding System 

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 

IAA integrated agriculture-aquaculture 

IBAR InterAfrican Bureau for Animal  Resources 

ICES International Council for the  Exploration of the Sea 

ICT information and communications  technology 

ICT4SSF information and communication  technologies for small-scale  

fisheries 

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural  Development 

IFFO Marine Ingredients Organisation IFOP Institute of Fisheries Development 

IFPRI International Food Policy Research  Institute 

IHH llluminating Hidden Harvests IIA integrated irrigated-aquaculture 

ILBI international legally binding  instrument 

ILO lnternational Labour Organization IMO lnternational Maritime Organization IMTA integrated multitrophic aquaculture 

INFOFISH Intergovernmental Organization  for Marketing Information and  

Technical Advisory Services for  

Fishery Products in the Asia and  

Pacific Region 

INFOPESCA Centre for Marketing Information  and Advisory Services for Fishery  

Products in Latin America and the  

Caribbean 

INFOYU China Fish Marketing Information  and Trade Advisory Service Center 

IOC-UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic  Commission 

IPOA International Plan of Action 

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate  Change 

ISSCAAP International Standard Statistical  Classification of Aquatic Animals  

and Plants 

IUCN International Union for  

Conservation of Nature and Natural  

Resources 

IUU fishing illegal, unreported and unregulated  fishing 

IYAFA 2022 International Year of Artisanal  Aquaculture and Fisheries 2022 

KDE key data element 

LCA life cycle assessment 

LDC least developed country 

LOA length overall 

MCS monitoring, control and surveillance MEL monitoring, eval‎uation and learning MPA marine protected area 

MSY maximum sustainable yield NDC nationally determined contribution NGO non-governmental organization 

Norad Norwegian Agency for Development  Cooperation 

NPOA National Plan of Action 

NPOA-SSF National Plan of Action in support  of the implementation of the SSF  

Guidelines 

NTM non-tariff measure 

OECD Organisation for Economic  Co-operation and Development 

OECM other effective area-based  conservation measure 

OSPESCA Central American Organization  of the Fisheries and Aquaculture  

Sector 

PMP/AB Progressive Management Pathway  for Improving Aquaculture  

Biosecurity 

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PPAs programme priority areas 

PSMA Agreement on Port State  Measures to Prevent, Deter and  

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and  

Unregulated Fishing (Port State  

Measures Agreement) 

PUFA polyunsaturated fatty acid RFAB Regional Fisheries Advisory Body RFB regional fishery body 

RFMO regional fisheries management  organization 

ROFTA return on fixed tangible assets ROI return on investment 

RTA regional trade agreement SDG Sustainable Development Goal SER Society for Ecological Restoration 

SICA Central American Integration  System 

SIDA Swedish International Development  Cooperation Agency 

SIDS small island developing State SME small and medium enterprise 

SOFIA The State of World Fisheries  and Aquaculture 

SSF small-scale fisheries 

SSF Guidelines Voluntary Guidelines for Securing  Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries  

in the Context of Food Security and  

Poverty Eradication 

TBT technical barriers to trade 

TBTI Too Big To Ignore 

UN United Nations 

UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the  Law of the Sea 

UNCTAD United Nations Conference on  Trade and Development 

UN DESA United Nations Department of  Social and Economic Affairs 

UNDOSSD United Nations Decade of  Ocean Science for Sustainable  

Development (2021–2030) 

UNEP United Nations Environment  Programme 

UNFCCC United Nations Framework  Convention on Climate Change 

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNSD United Nations Statistics Division USGS United States Geological Survey 

VGCDS Voluntary Guidelines for Catch  Documentation Schemes 

VGMFG Voluntary Guidelines for the  Marking of Fishing Gear 

VME vulnerable marine ecosystem VMS vessel monitoring system WCO World Customs Organization WFP World Food Programme 

WGFTFB Working Group on Fishing  Technology and Fish Behaviour 

WHO World Health Organization WTO World Trade Organization 

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KEY MESSAGES 

1. 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. 

Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached  a record 214 million tonnes in 2020, comprising  178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million  tonnes of algae, largely due to the growth of  aquaculture, particularly in Asia. The amount  destined for human consumption (excluding  algae) was 20.2 kg per capita, more than double  the average of 9.9 kg per capita in the 1960s.  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.  

2. Aquaculture has great potential to feed  and nourish the world’s growing population.  But growth must be sustainable. 

In 2020, global aquaculture production reached a  record 122.6 million tonnes, with a total value of  USD 281.5 billion. Aquatic animals accounted for  87.5 million tonnes and algae comprised 35.1 million  tonnes. In 2020, driven by expansion in Chile,  China and Norway, global aquaculture production  grew in all regions except Africa, due to a decrease  in the two major producing countries, Egypt and  Nigeria. The rest of Africa enjoyed 14.5 percent  growth from 2019. Asia continued to dominate  world aquaculture, producing 91.6 percent of the  total. Aquaculture growth has often occurred at the  expense of the environment. Sustainable aquaculture  development remains critical to supply the growing  demand for aquatic foods. 

3. The world’s consumption of aquatic  foods has increased significantly in recent  years and will continue to rise. 

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 grew from an average of 9.9 kg in the  1960s to a record high of 20.5 kg in 2019, while it  slightly declined to 20.2 kg in 2020. Rising incomes and  urbanization, improvements in post-harvest practices  and changes in dietary trends are projected to drive a  15 percent increase in aquatic food consumption, to  supply on average 21.4 kg per capita in 2030. 

4. Fishery resources continue to decline  due to overfishing, pollution, poor  

management and other factors, but the  number of landings from biologically  sustainable stocks is on the rise. 

The fraction 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. Effective fisheries  

management has been proven to successfully rebuild  stocks and increase catches within ecosystem  boundaries. Improving global fisheries management  remains crucial to restore ecosystems to a healthy  and productive state and protect the long-term  supply of aquatic foods. Rebuilding overfished stocks  could increase fisheries production by 16.5 million  tonnes and raise the contribution of marine fisheries  to the food security, nutrition, economic growth and  well-being of coastal communities.  

5. Reduction of the global fishing fleet  size continues, but more needs to be  done to minimize overcapacity and ensure  sustainability in fishing operations. 

The total number of fishing vessels in 2020 was  estimated at 4.1 million, a reduction of 10 percent since  2015, reflecting efforts by countries, in particular China  

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and European countries, to reduce the global fleet size.  Asia still had the largest fishing fleet, at about two-thirds  of the global total. However, reductions in fleet size  alone do not necessarily guarantee more sustainable  outcomes, since changes in fishing efficiency can offset  the sustainability gains of fleet reductions. 

6. Aquatic animal production is forecast  to grow another 14 percent by 2030.  It is vital this growth goes hand in hand  with safeguarding ecosystems, reducing  pollution, protecting biodiversity and  ensuring social equity.  

FAO’s outlook for fisheries and aquaculture to 2030  projects an increase in production, consumption and  trade, albeit at slower growth rates. Total production  of aquatic animals is expected to reach 202 million  tonnes in 2030, thanks mainly to sustained growth of  aquaculture, projected to reach 100 million tonnes  for the first time in 2027 and 106 million tonnes in  2030. World capture fisheries is projected to recover,  increasing by 6 percent from 2020 to reach 96 million  tonnes in 2030, as a result of improved resource  management, underfished resources, and reduced  discards, waste and losses.  

7. Millions of lives and livelihoods are  supported by aquatic food systems.  Yet, many small-scale producers, especially  women, are vulnerable with precarious  working conditions. Building their resilience  is key to sustainability and equitable  development. 

Of the 58.5 million people employed in the primary  fisheries and aquaculture sector in 2020, 21 percent  were women, rising to about 50 percent for those  employed in the entire aquatic value chain (including  pre- and post-harvest). Although they occupy critical  roles in fisheries and aquaculture, women constitute  a disproportionately large percentage of the people  engaged in the informal, lowest paid, least stable and  less skilled segments of the workforce, and often face  gender-based constraints that prevent them from fully  exploring and benefiting from their roles in the sector. 

8. Aquatic food systems are a powerful  solution. Blue Transformation can meet  the twin challenges of food security and  environmental sustainability. 

FAO is committed to Blue Transformation, a  

visionary strategy that aims to enhance the role of  aquatic food systems in feeding the world’s growing  population by providing the legal, policy and technical  frameworks required to sustain growth and innovation.  Blue Transformation proposes a series of actions  designed to support resilience in aquatic food systems  and ensure fisheries and aquaculture grow sustainably  while leaving no one behind, especially those  

communities that depend on the sector. Climate- and  environment-friendly policies and practices, as well as  technological innovations, are critical building blocks for  Blue Transformation. 

9. Blue Transformation requires a  

commitment from the public and private  sectors if we are to achieve the United  Nations 2030 Agenda, particularly since  the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed  previously favourable trends.  

Blue Transformation requires a commitment from  governments, the private sector and civil society  to maximize the opportunities that fisheries and  aquaculture offer. Blue Transformation seeks to promote  sustainable aquaculture expansion and intensification,  effective management of all fisheries, and upgrading  of aquatic value chains. Proactive public and private  partnerships are needed to improve production, reduce  food loss and waste and enhance equitable access to  lucrative markets. Furthermore, inclusion of aquatic  foods in national food security and nutrition strategies,  together with initiatives to improve consumer awareness  on their benefits, is needed to increase availability and  improve access. 

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Over the last two decades, the fisheries and  aquaculture sectors have been increasingly  recognized for their essential contribution  to global food security and nutrition.  

Expanding this role requires scaling up  transformative changes in policy, management,  innovation, and investment to achieve  sustainable, inclusive and equitable global  fisheries and aquaculture. The State of World  Fisheries and Aquaculture 20221 presents updated  and verified statistics2 of the sector and analyses  its international policy context and selected  high-impact actions undertaken to accelerate  international efforts in support of the Sustainable  Development Goals (SDGs). The report looks at  the impact and implications of the COVID-19  pandemic on fisheries and aquaculture  production,3 utilization, and trade and provides a  future outlook for the sector. 

1. WORLD REVIEW 

Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached an all-time record of 214 million tonnes  in 2020, comprising 178 million tonnes of aquatic  animals and 36 million tonnes of algae,3 a slight  increase (3 percent) from the previous 2018  record (213 million tonnes). The limited growth is  mainly caused by a 4.4 percent decline in capture  fisheries due to reduced catches of pelagic  species, particularly anchoveta, a reduction in  China’s catches, and the impacts of the COVID-19  pandemic in 2020. This decline was compensated  for by a continued growth of aquaculture, albeit  at a slower yearly rate in the last two years. 

For aquatic animal production, this general  trend masks significant variations between  continents, regions, and countries. In 2020, Asian  

1 Note that this 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries and  Aquaculture includes for the first time a Glossary which reflects the  ongoing expansion of the terminology resulting from the sector’s  increasing role in food security, human nutrition and trade. 

2 In Part 1 World Review, if not expressly indicated, the statistical  analysis on production, utilization, consumption and trade is carried out  separately for aquatic animals (excluding aquatic mammals and  reptiles) and algae. Detailed coverage of species and specific sectorial  exclusions are indicated in the Glossary. 

3 For algae, and fisheries and aquaculture production, see Glossary,  including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

countries were the main producers accounting for  70 percent of the total, followed by the Americas,  Europe, Africa and Oceania. China remained the  first major producer with a share of 35 percent  of the total. The expansion of aquaculture in  recent decades has boosted the overall growth of  aquatic animal production in inland waters, from  12 percent of total production in the late 1980s to  37 percent in 2020.  

In 2020, global capture fisheries production (excluding algae) was 90.3 million tonnes, with  an estimated value of USD 141 billion, including  78.8 million tonnes from marine waters and  11.5 million tonnes from inland waters – a fall  of 4.0 percent compared with the average of the  previous three years. Finfish represent about  85 percent of total marine capture production,  with anchoveta once again the top species  harvested. In 2020, catches of the four most  high-value groups (tunas, cephalopods, shrimps  and lobsters) remained at their highest levels  or declined marginally from peak catches  recorded previously. 

Despite a decrease of 5.1 percent from 2019, global  catches in inland waters, estimated at 11.5 million  tonnes, remained at a historically high level  and benefited from improved reporting by the  producing countries. Asia produced almost  two-thirds of total inland fisheries, followed  by Africa – inland catches are important for  food security in both these regions. For the first  time since the mid-1980s, China was not the top  inland fisheries producer, overtaken by India at  1.8 million tonnes.  

Global aquaculture production in 2020 reached  a record 122.6 million tonnes, including  

87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals worth  USD 264.8 billion and 35.1 million tonnes of algae  worth USD 16.5 billion. Around 54.4 million  tonnes were farmed in inland waters and  

68.1 million tonnes came from marine and  coastal aquaculture.  

All regions, except Africa, experienced continued  aquaculture growth in 2020, driven by expansion  in Chile, China and Norway – the top producers  

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in their respective regions. Africa experienced  a decrease in the two major producing  countries, Egypt and Nigeria, while the rest of  Africa enjoyed 14.5 percent growth from 2019.  Asia continued to dominate world aquaculture,  producing over 90 percent of the total.  

The contribution of aquaculture to the global  production of aquatic animals reached a record  49.2 percent in 2020. Aquaculture of fed aquatic  animals continues to outpace that of non-fed  aquatic animals. Despite the great diversity in  farmed aquatic species, only a small number  of “staple” species dominate aquaculture  production, particularly grass carp for global  inland aquaculture and Atlantic salmon for  marine aquaculture.  

FAO continues to report on the status of fishery  resources. The Organization’s long-term  monitoring of assessed marine fishery stocks  confirm‎s that marine fishery resources have  continued to decline. The fraction of fishery stocks  within biologically sustainable levels decreased  from 90 percent in 1974 to 64.6 percent in 2019,  with maximally sustainably fished stocks at  57.3 percent and underfished stocks at 7.2 percent.  

Nevertheless, despite worsening trends by  number, in 2019, biologically sustainable stocks  accounted for 82.5 percent of the landings of  aquatic products,4 a 3.8 percent increase from  2017. For example, on average, 66.7 percent of the  stocks of the ten species most landed in 2019 –  anchoveta, Alaska pollock, skipjack tuna, Atlantic  herring, yellowfin, blue whiting, European  pilchard, Pacific chub mackerel, Atlantic cod  and largehead hairtail – were fished within  biologically sustainable levels in 2019, slightly  higher than in 2017. This demonstrates that larger  stocks are managed more effectively. 

Rebuilding overfished stocks could increase  marine capture fisheries production by  16.5 million tonnes and thus contribute to the  food security, nutrition, economies and well-being  of coastal communities. Scientifically assessed  

4 For aquatic products, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

and intensively managed stocks have, on average,  seen increased abundance at proposed target  levels; in contrast, regions with less developed  fisheries management have much greater harvest  rates and lower abundance. This highlights the  urgent need to replicate and re-adapt successful  policies and regulations in fisheries that are  not managed sustainably, and implement  

innovative, ecosystem-based mechanisms that  promote sustainable use and conservation around  the world. 

Many of the important inland fisheries lie within  least developed and developing countries, where  limited human and financial resources to monitor  and manage such fisheries represent a major  obstacle. Even in some developed countries, the  low profile of inland fisheries means that stock  assessment and monitoring may be a relatively  low priority in relation to other competing needs.  In 2016, FAO began developing a global threat  map for inland fisheries to provide a baseline  metric to track changes in major basins and  improve inland fisheries. Preliminary results  indicate that across all major basins 55 percent of  inland fisheries are under moderate pressure and  17 percent under high pressure. 

With regard to the fishing fleet, the total number  of fishing vessels in 2020 was estimated at  4.1 million, a reduction of 10 percent since 2015,  reflecting efforts by many countries, in particular  China and European countries, to reduce  

the global fleet size. Asia still has the largest  fishing fleet, at about two-thirds of the global  total. The global total of motorized vessels has  remained steady at 2.5 million vessels, with Asia  having almost 75 percent; about 97 percent of the  world’s non-motorized vessels are spread between  Asia and Africa.  

Regarding employment in fisheries and  

aquaculture, in 2020, an estimated 58.5 million  people were engaged in the primary production  sector as full-time or part-time workers.  

Some 35 percent were employed in aquaculture,  a figure which has flattened in recent years,  while the global number of fishers has  

contracted. In 2020, 84 percent of all fishers  | xix |

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

and fish farmers were in Asia. Overall, women  accounted for 21 percent of those engaged in the  primary sector (28 percent in aquaculture and  18 percent in fisheries), but they tend to have  more unstable employment in aquaculture and  fisheries, representing only 15 percent of full-time  workers in 2020. However, when considering  the available data for the processing sector  only, women accounted for just over 50 percent  of full-time employment and 71 percent of  part-time engagement. 

Utilization and processing of fisheries and  aquaculture production have changed considerably  in past decades. In 2020, 89 percent (157 million  tonnes) of world production (excluding algae) was  used for direct human consumption, compared  with 67 percent in the 1960s. The remainder  (over 20 million tonnes) was used for non-food  purposes – the vast majority for fishmeal and  fish oil, with the rest for ornamental fish, bait,  pharmaceutical applications, pet food, and direct  feeding in aquaculture and raising of livestock  and fur animals. Live, fresh or chilled forms still  represented the largest share of aquatic food5 (excluding algae) for direct human consumption,  followed by frozen, prepared, and preserved and  cured. In Asia and Africa, the share of aquatic  food production preserved by salting, smoking,  fermentation or drying is higher than the world  average. A growing share of by-products is used  for food and non-food purposes. For example, over  27 percent of the global production of fishmeal and  48 percent of the total production of fish oil were  obtained from by-products. 

Global consumption of aquatic foods (excluding  algae) increased at an average annual rate of  3.0 percent from 1961 to 2019, a rate almost  twice that of annual world population growth  (1.6 percent) for the same period, with annual  per capita consumption reaching a record  high of 20.5 kg in 2019. Preliminary estimates  point to a lower consumption in 2020 due to a  COVID-19-driven contraction of demand, followed  by a slight increase in 2021. Despite a few  exceptions, the most notable being Japan, most  

5 For aquatic food, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

countries saw a rise in their per capita aquatic  food consumption between 1961 and 2019, with  upper-middle-income countries experiencing  the strongest annual growth. Globally in 2019,  aquatic foods provided about 17 percent of  animal proteins and 7 percent of all proteins.  For 3.3 billion people, aquatic foods provide at  least 20 percent of the average per capita intake  of animal protein. In Cambodia, Sierra Leone,  Bangladesh, Indonesia, Ghana, Mozambique and  some small island developing States, aquatic  foods contribute half or more of total animal  protein intake. 

International trade of fisheries and aquaculture  products has grown significantly in recent  decades, expanding over continents and regions.  In 2020, world exports of aquatic products,  excluding algae, were worth USD 151 billion  – a 7 percent decline from the 2018 record  high of USD 165 billion. The value of traded  aquatic products accounted for 11 percent of  total agricultural trade (excluding forestry) and  about 1 percent of total merchandise trade in  2020. These shares are much higher in many  countries, exceeding 40 percent of the total  value of merchandise trade in Cabo Verde,  Iceland, Kiribati and Maldives, for example.  Nearly 90 percent of the quantity of traded  aquatic products, excluding algae, consisted of  preserved products, the majority of which were  frozen. Other exports included USD 1.9 billion  from algae, inedible aquatic by-products, and  sponges and corals. 

From 1976 to 2020, the value of trade in aquatic  products increased at an average annual rate of  6.9 percent in nominal terms and 3.9 percent in  

real terms (adjusted for inflation). The faster rate  of growth in value relative to quantity reflects  the increasing proportion of trade in high-value  species and products undergoing processing or  other forms of value addition.  

China remains the world’s largest exporter of  aquatic animal products, followed by Norway and  Viet Nam, with the European Union the largest  single importing market. The largest importing  countries are the United States of America,  

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followed by China and Japan. In terms of volume  (live weight), China is the top importing country  of large quantities of species not only for domestic  consumption but also as raw material to be  processed in China and then re-exported.  

2. TOWARDS BLUE TRANSFORMATION6 

The current Decade of Action to deliver the  Global Goals7 must accelerate actions to address  food security while preserving our natural  resources. Aquatic foods, forecast to increase  by a further 15 percent by 2030, can provide a  larger proportion of humanity’s nutritious food  requirements. Blue Transformation is a vision for  sustainably transforming aquatic food systems,  a recognized solution for food and nutrition  security and environmental and social well-being,  by preserving aquatic ecosystem health, reducing  pollution, protecting biodiversity and promoting  social equality.  

Blue Transformation focuses on sustainable  aquaculture expansion and intensification,  effective management of all fisheries, and  upgraded value chains. This requires holistic and  adaptive approaches that consider the complex  interaction in agrifood systems and support  multi-stakeholder interventions using existing  and emerging knowledge, tools and practices  to secure and maximize the contribution of  aquatic food systems to global food security  and nutrition. 

By 2030, aquatic food production is forecast  to increase by a further 15 percent, mainly  by intensifying and expanding sustainable  aquaculture production. Such growth must  preserve aquatic ecosystem health, prevent  pollution, and protect biodiversity and social  equality. Blue Transformation aims to: (i) increase  the development and adoption of sustainable  aquaculture practices; (ii) integrate aquaculture  into national, regional and global development  

6 For Blue Transformation, see Glossary. 

7 In 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General called for a decade  of ambitious action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by  2030: the Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals. 

strategies and food policies; (iii) expand and  intensify aquaculture production to meet the  growing demand for aquatic food and enhance  inclusive livelihoods; and (iv) improve capacities  at all levels to develop and adopt innovative  technology and management practices for a more  efficient and resilient aquaculture industry.  

Fundamental barriers facing aquaculture  production systems, governance, investment,  innovations and capacity building must be  addressed. Improved aquaculture systems  require further technical innovations – with  a focus on genetic improvements in breeding  programmes, feeds, biosecurity and disease  control – coupled with coherent policies and  appropriate incentives along the entire value  chain. Focus priority areas for innovative  aquaculture practices are aquafeeds and feeding,  digitalization, and the promotion of efficient and  pro-environment practices. Implementing these  solutions requires adequate capacity and skills,  training, research and partnerships, and can  benefit from developments in information and  communications technology and the wider access  to mobile applications and platforms.  

Good governance, based on sound and  

enforceable legal and institutional frameworks, is  fundamental to create an enabling environment  to attract investment in aquaculture expansion.  A balanced mix of finance and insurance services  is needed at all scales to improve infrastructure  and support technological innovations and  mechanisms, such as carbon or nitrogen credits  and blue bonds to reward blue investment for  environmental benefits and ecosystem services.  

Effective management of all fisheries is  

a core objective of Blue Transformation.  

Improving fisheries management is essential  to rebuild fishery stocks, increase catches and  restore ecosystems to a healthy and productive  state while managing exploited resources  within ecosystem boundaries. This requires  transformative changes to promote governance  and policy reforms, effective management  frameworks, innovative technologies and  adequate social protection.  

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

International instruments such as the United  Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the  Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and  related implementation tools, including the  Port State Measures Agreement, should guide  governance and policy reform worldwide to  enforce management actions at the country  and regional levels. Intergovernmental  organizations (IGOs), non-governmental  organizations (NGOs) and the private sector  should intensify cross-sectoral collaboration  and cooperation arrangements to further  strengthen their complementary roles in  addressing local, national and regional fisheries  management issues.  

Effective management should adopt the  ecosystem approach to fisheries with  

due consideration of tenure, rights and  co-management, taking into account the benefits  and trade-offs of environmental, social and  economic objectives of fishery resources and  aquatic ecosystems. Through co-management  mechanisms, relevant stakeholders should be  involved in decision-making, supported by  effective monitoring, control and surveillance  (MCS), increased information exchange,  enforcement and strengthened coordination.  

Technological advances are instrumental for  effective implementation of conservation and  management measures, by improving data  collection, analysis and dissemination, MCS,  efficiency, environmental protection and safety  at sea. Social protection programmes that  account for decent work and human rights  positively impact resource conservation and the  protection of livelihoods. 

Developing – especially least developed –  countries have limited technical and institutional  capacities to ensure effective fisheries  management. They require tailored capacity  development initiatives with approaches adapted  to their financial and human capacity constraints. 

Aquaculture expansion and effective fisheries  management depend on innovating fisheries  and aquaculture value chains, which in turn  

need public and private partnerships to support  new technologies, increase availability of  aquatic foods, enhance consumer awareness  of their benefits, reduce food loss and waste  (FLW), and improve access to lucrative markets.  Reducing FLW entails the implementation  of multidimensional actions integrating  

governance, technology, skills and knowledge,  services and infrastructure, and market  

linkages. Access to lucrative markets requires  the capacity to respond to market requirements,  in particular the non-tariff measures  

addressing consumer, environmental and social  protection and using transparent and reliable  traceability systems.  

The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and  Aquaculture 2022 was declared by the United  Nations General Assembly to enhance global  awareness and understanding of small-scale  artisanal fisheries and aquaculture; foster  action to support its contribution to sustainable  development; and promote dialogue and  collaboration between and among actors and  partners, engaging key public and private  stakeholders to address challenges and  

opportunities for small-scale fisheries and  aquaculture to contribute to achieving the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

3. BLUE TRANSFORMATION TO ACHIEVE  THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE  DEVELOPMENT 

With less than eight years to 2030, the world is  not on track to end hunger and malnutrition  and achieve the SDGs. The COVID-19 pandemic  reversed previously favourable trends.  

In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development, the Decade of Action to deliver the  Global Goals intends to strengthen the strategies  of countries, IGOs, NGOs and civil society  organizations to promote a fair, prosperous and  sustainable world.  

Fisheries and aquaculture contribute to most  SDGs, in particular, SDG 14 (Life below  

water), which is dedicated to the ocean and its  marine resources. FAO, as custodian of four  

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SDG indicators that concern the sustainable  use of marine living resources, is leveraging  and adapting existing global monitoring and  reporting mechanisms to integrate national  data. SDG Indicators 14.6.1 and 14.b.1 now  reveal encouraging trends regarding levels of  policy implementation. Recent and upcoming  methodology enhancements are designed to  address limited national capacities in many  developing countries to measure the sustainability  of marine fishery stocks (SDG Indicator 14.4.1),  and to allow countries to better understand  the importance of sustainable fisheries for  their national economies (SDG Indicator 14.7.1).  With regard to ocean environmental status (SDG  Targets 14.1, 14.3 and 14.5), while some indicators  reveal worsening trends and accelerating rates  of pollution, there is clear progress and a strong  political will to enact national legislation on  protection of marine environments. 

Most importantly, reporting the true contribution  of fisheries and aquaculture to the 2030 Agenda  is still hampered because the SDG 14 indicators  cover mostly marine capture fisheries; the  contribution of aquaculture has not always been  clearly identified or communicated, and the  contribution of inland fisheries and aquaculture  to food and nutrition is absent from current  SDG texts. 

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for  Sustainable Development (2021–2030) (UNDOSSD)  recognizes that a strong science-policy interface  is crucial to design sustainable solutions and  ultimately enshrine decisions, agreements  and actions in the best available evidence.  The UNDOSSD Implementation Plan, a highly  participatory and inclusive process, builds  on existing achievements to deliver across  geographies, sectors, disciplines and generations,  address ten priority challenges and unite the  Decade partners in collective action. To address the  challenges relevant to fisheries and aquaculture,  they seek to generate knowledge, support  innovation, address inequalities in ocean science  capacity and develop solutions to optimize the  role of the ocean in food security under changing  environmental, social and climate conditions.  

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem  

Restoration, co-led by FAO and the United  

Nations Environment Programme, calls for the  global revival of ecosystems and their services by  restoring habitats and species to ensure productive  and resilient social-environmental systems in the  face of ongoing and future challenges. 

Restoring inland, coastal and marine ecosystems  requires adequate governance and support  to incorporate conservation and sustainable  production actions by multiple actors, sectors  and jurisdictions. The Decade represents an  opportunity to build and link networks and  partnerships across the globe, strengthening the  restoration–science–policy nexus.  

Restoring fisheries productivity requires the  rehabilitation of mangrove forests, seagrass  meadows and reefs, watersheds and wetlands,  and effective management to rebuild fishery  stocks and reduce adverse impacts of fishing on  ecosystems. Actions in aquaculture aim to restore  ecosystem structure and function to support food  provisioning, while minimizing pollution, invasive  alien species, waste and the emergence of diseases.  

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework  faces three important challenges: (i) to broaden its  adoption and delivery outside the conservation  community, widening ownership of challenges  and solutions for biodiversity; (ii) to match  resources for implementation of change to the  ambition of its tasks; and (iii) to engage in a  dynamic process that can be well measured  and communicated. 

To integrate these challenges into their  

plans of action, stakeholders must support  strengthening the nexus between biodiversity  restoration, economic benefit and livelihoods.  Initiatives and actions – including those  

implemented by FAO – provide the required  support for the recovery of vulnerable species  and habitats, including characterizing of  

threatened species, National Plans of Action  on sharks and seabirds, area-based fisheries  management, and basin-based management of  inland fisheries. Other actions aim at optimizing  

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

sustainable biodiversity use by addressing risks  and mitigation associated with farmed aquatic  diversity, reducing bycatch and the pollution  caused by abandoned, lost and discarded fishing  gear, and using selective fishing technology.  

4. EMERGING ISSUES AND OUTLOOK 

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has  swept through continents and countries causing  unprecedented health, social and economic  damage, including to fisheries and aquaculture.  Worldwide, COVID-19, a crisis like no other,  entailed lockdowns and closures of markets,  ports and borders resulted in significant  slowdown of trade, causing disruption in aquatic  food production and distribution and loss of  employment and livelihoods.  

Fishing was disrupted and aquaculture  struggled to maintain its planned production  cycles. Supply chains dominated by small and  medium enterprises were particularly vulnerable  to COVID-19 restrictions. Vulnerable and  marginalized people were disproportionately  affected, with women enduring greater  employment declines and loss of household  livelihoods. Recovery was gradual by diversifying  household income with other agricultural  activities, streamlining business costs, targeting  local markets and embracing online marketing  and direct delivery. 

Governments adopted diverse and complex  health, social, economic, education and  environmental support measures, depending  on national priorities, capacity and resources.  Countries with functioning social protection  systems responded more efficiently to mitigate  the impacts of the pandemic. Unfortunately,  informal workers, numerous in the fisheries and  aquaculture sectors, were often excluded.  

The pandemic exposed the interconnectivity  of markets and supply chains and the need for  inclusive and shock-responsive national social  protection systems. On the positive side, the  crisis accelerated digitalization, and encouraged  e-monitoring and enforcement, the use of  

green energy and clean technologies and the  development of local production and markets. 

Increased warming has caused irreversible  changes requiring urgent ocean-based action to  strengthen and accelerate climate mitigation and  adaptation measures, increasing the urgency of  fisheries and aquaculture adaptations to climate  change. This calls for the explicit consideration  of climate stressors in fisheries and aquaculture  management by connecting adaptation plans  and management or development actions,  including local and context-specific indicators  associated with climate stressors of fisheries  and aquaculture. 

Transformative adaptation plans are required at  national and local levels, with particular attention  to the most vulnerable using an inclusive and  participatory approach and considering the  needs and benefits of small-scale fisheries and  aquaculture. These plans would benefit from  adopting climate-informed spatial management  approaches, integrating equity and human rights  considerations and investing in innovation. 

At the twenty-sixth session of the Conference  of the Parties to the United Nations Framework  Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow  (COP26), the key role of oceans was strengthened,  opening opportunities for fisheries and  

aquaculture to expand its contribution  

to global efforts, sharing adaptation and  

mitigation solutions, and raising the profile of  inland fisheries and aquaculture within the  international climate discussions. 

Advancing towards gender equality in fisheries  and aquaculture is fundamental for sustainability  and inclusiveness. Despite their significant role  in the sector, women are mostly engaged in  the informal, lowest paid, least stable and least  skilled segments of the workforce. Because of  social, cultural and economic contexts, they often  face gender-based constraints that prevent them  from fully realizing and benefiting from their  roles in the sector. This is further complicated  by limited access to information, services,  infrastructure, markets, social protection and  

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decent employment, decision-making and  leadership positions. 

The FAO Policy on Gender Equality guided the  adoption of key FAO instruments and ways to  promote gender transformative approaches that  support the role of women as key agents of change  to achieve Blue Transformation.  

Based on economic, policy and environmental  assumptions, FAO prepares an outlook for  fisheries and aquaculture production, utilization,  trade, prices and key issues that might influence  future supply and demand. FAO fisheries and  aquaculture projections to 2030 point to an  increase in production, consumption and trade,  albeit at slower growth rates. Total production of  aquatic animals is expected to reach 202 million  tonnes in 2030, with the main increase coming  from aquaculture, contributing 106 million tonnes  in 2030. World capture fisheries is projected to  increase to reach 96 million tonnes, as a result  of recovering stocks of certain species owing  to improved resource management, growth in  catches of underfished resources, and reduced  discards, waste and losses.  

In 2030, 90 percent of all aquatic animal  production will be for human consumption, an  overall increase of 15 percent compared with  2020. This means annual per capita consumption  will increase from 20.2 kg in 2020 to 21.4 kg  in 2030, a result of high demand due to rising  

incomes and urbanization, linked with the  expansion of production, improvements in  post-harvest operations and distribution and  changes in dietary trends. Aquatic food supply  will increase in all regions, while per capita  consumption is expected to decline slightly  in Africa, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa,  raising concerns in terms of food security.  

Trade in aquatic products will continue to  expand, but at a slower pace than in the  

previous decade, reflecting the slowdown in  production growth, higher prices restraining  overall demand and consumption, and  

stronger domestic demand in some of the  major producing and exporting countries,  such as China. A stable share (36 percent) of  total production will be exported in 2030 with  an increasing contribution from aquaculture.  In quantity terms, China will continue to be  the major exporter of aquatic food, followed by  Viet Nam and Norway. The European Union,  Japan and the United States of America will  account for 39 percent of total imported volumes  of aquatic food consumption in 2030.  

Prices of internationally traded aquatic products  are estimated to increase by 33 percent in  nominal terms in 2030. This increase will be  driven by improved incomes, population growth,  strong demand, reduced supply and increased  production cost pressure from inputs such as  feed, energy and fish oil. ■ 

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GUYANA 

Fishers on small vessels  moored in an estuarine  landing site – FISH4ACP  improving value chains. ©FAO/Nieuw Image Media

PART 1 

WORLD REVIEW 

GLOBAL FISHERIES  AND AQUACULTURE  AT A GLANCE 

The fisheries and aquaculture sectors have  been increasingly recognized for their essential  contribution to global food security and nutrition  in the twenty-first century. Further expansion  of this contribution requires the acceleration of  transformative changes in policy, management,  innovation and investment to achieve sustainable  and equitable global fisheries and aquaculture.  The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 20221 presents updated and verified statistics2 of the  sector (Box 1) and analyses its international policy  context and selected high-impact initiatives and  actions undertaken to accelerate international  efforts to support achievement of the Sustainable  Development Goals. It looks at the impact and  implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on  fisheries and aquaculture production,3 utilization  and trade. 

Global production of aquatic animals was  estimated at 178 million tonnes in 2020, a  slight decrease from the all-time record of  

179 million tonnes in 2018 (Table 1 and Figure 1).  Capture fisheries contributed 90 million tonnes  

1 Note that this 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries and  Aquaculture includes for the first time a Glossary which reflects the  ongoing expansion of the terminology resulting from sector’s increasing  role in food security, human nutrition and trade. 

2 In Part 1 World Review, if not expressly indicated, the statistical  analysis on production, utilization, consumption and trade is carried out  separately for aquatic animals (excluding aquatic mammals and  reptiles) and algae. Detailed coverage of species and specific sectorial  exclusions are indicated in the Glossary. 

3 For algae, apparent consumption, aquatic foods, and fisheries and  aquaculture production, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

(51 percent) and aquaculture 88 million tonnes  (49 percent). Of the total production, 63 percent  (112 million tonnes) was harvested in marine  waters (70 percent from capture fisheries and  30 percent from aquaculture) and 37 percent  (66 million tonnes) in inland waters (83 percent  from aquaculture and 17 percent from capture  fisheries). The total first sale value of the global  production was estimated at USD 406 billion,  comprising USD 141 billion for capture fisheries  and USD 265 billion for aquaculture. In addition  to aquatic animals, 36 million tonnes (wet  weight) of algae3 were produced in 2020, of  which 97 percent originated from aquaculture,  mostly marine aquaculture. 

Of the overall production of aquatic animals,  over 157 million tonnes (89 percent) were  used for human consumption. The remaining  20 million tonnes were destined for non-food  uses, to produce mainly fishmeal and fish oil  (16 million tonnes or 81 percent) (Figure 2).  

Global apparent consumption3 of aquatic  foods3 increased at an average annual rate of  3.0 percent from 1961 to 2019, a rate almost  twice that of annual world population growth  (1.6 percent) for the same period. Per capita  consumption of aquatic animal foods grew by  about 1.4 percent per year, from 9.0 kg (live  weight equivalent) in 1961 to 20.5 kg in 2019.  Preliminary data for 2020 point to a slight  decline to 20.2 kg. In the same year, aquaculture  accounted for 56 percent of the amount of  aquatic animal food production available  for human consumption. During recent  

decades, per capita consumption of aquatic  foods has been influenced most strongly  by increased supplies, changing consumer  preferences, advancements in technology and  income growth.  

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 BOX 1 MORE THAN SEVEN DECADES OF FAO FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE STATISTICS: 1950–2020 

Statistics are a core function of FAO. Since its  foundation, FAO has been mandated to collect,  compile, analyse and disseminate information relating  to nutrition, food and agriculture through Article 1  of the FAO Constitution.1 The FAO statistical system  plays an essential role in the fields of agriculture  and food, supporting countries’ policies to eradicate  hunger and promote the sustainable use of natural  resources by making informed decisions through  access to high-quality and comprehensive data.  In particular, FAO provides the only source of global  fisheries and aquaculture statistics, FishStat,  which represents a unique global public good for  sector analysis and monitoring. These statistics  are structured within different data collections  (production of capture fisheries and aquaculture,  processing, trade, fleet, employment and  consumption) freely accessible to users in different  formats in a range of tools and products by country  or country groups, species or species groups, harvest  environment, etc. The year 2022 is a major milestone  for FAO, as it marks the coverage of its fisheries and  aquaculture statistics for the years 1950–2020 for  the majority of its datasets – the longest time series  of any statistical dataset published by FAO. A series  of initiatives, including workshops and dedicated  publications, will celebrate this major event, with the  aim of improving interaction and engagement with  Members and users in order to meet their needs. 

FAO fisheries and aquaculture statistics are  based primarily on data collected annually from  national sources through questionnaires specific to  each dataset and country data. Every year countries  are requested to provide data for the latest year, as  well as validate and revise data for the most recent  years. The quality of the FAO statistics is highly  dependent upon the accuracy and reliability of the  data collected and provided by countries. FAO strives  to validate and ensure the quality of official data  received. These statistics are carefully analysed and  cross-checked with different datasets and other  available information. When anomalies or gaps in the  data are identified, FAO interacts with countries to  explore these issues and find ways to resolve them  in collaboration with the countries concerned in  order to ensure consistency in the dissemination of  official data.  

However, the process of resolving inconsistencies  in the data is often slow and time-consuming.  When necessary, FAO estimates are applied (marked  with a flag “E”) in the databases and disseminated  data. This often encourages corrective action by the  country and many countries have collaborated with  FAO to address issues concerning the reliability of  their fisheries and aquaculture statistics.  

National statistics provided by the countries  

are the main, but not the only, source of data used  by FAO to maintain its fisheries and aquaculture  statistics databases. Statistics provided by national  authorities are complemented, and in some cases  replaced, by alternative and more reliable data.  This is the case of catches disseminated by the  regional fishery bodies (RFBs). The Coordinating  Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP), at its  eighteenth session in 1999,2 recommended “its  members should in general regard as the most  reliable source of data those held by the regional  body which has assessment responsibility for the  stock” and which are considered to represent  the “best scientific estimate”. Based on this  

recommendation, FAO regularly compares the catch  data received from national offices, in particular  for tuna and tuna-like species, with those validated  by RFBs.  

When data are not reported or only partially  

reported, FAO implements estimates based on the  best information available from alternative sources,  including those from RFBs in the case of capture  fisheries. As the leading agency/organization for  collecting and disseminating global fisheries and  aquaculture statistics, FAO is obliged to estimate data  for all non-reporting countries as well as for countries  reporting partial information, to enable meaningful  aggregates at the global, regional and national levels.  This is particularly important given FAO’s key role in  calculating Food Balance Sheets to assess the pattern  of a country’s food supply and monitor trends in food  availability and food security.  

Knowledge of the status and trends across the  entire value chain is key for sound policymaking and  to assess and track the performance of fisheries  and aquaculture management. FAO is committed  in its efforts to make major improvements in terms  of coverage of detail by species and country. At the  same time, the demand for more detailed and timely  statistics by sector and at national and subnational  level has increased significantly. 

Limited availability of information often constrains  policymaking and planning. Nevertheless, the last two  decades have seen little significant improvement in the  general availability of data in many countries because  of human and financial resource constraints. This is  particularly the case for statistics from small-scale  and subsistence fisheries. Also, many key statistics  are missing at the global level, such as economic and  social data, discards and fishing capacity.  

In addition to providing data for global monitoring,  FAO is recognized for its fundamental role in  

providing technical assistance services and capacity  development in fisheries statistics to many countries,  

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 BOX 1 (Continued) 

as well as developing methods and standards for  fisheries and aquaculture statistics and facilitating  global cooperation through the inter-agency CWP  established in 1960 of which FAO is Secretariat.  FAO strongly believes that working with countries  is the only effective way to improve fisheries and  aquaculture statistics, primarily to support policies  that address national needs for food security and  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

fisheries and aquaculture management, but also to  meet the needs of RFBs and FAO. Still, FAO recognizes  that improvements in major national data collection  schemes require financial, human and technological  resources for countries to build appropriate capacities  to implement and maintain often complex and  

resource-intensive data collection, processing and  reporting systems. 

1 FAO. 2017. Basic texts of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Volumes I and II, 2017 edition. Rome. www.fao.org/3/mp046e/ mp046e.pdf 

2 FAO. 1999. Report of the eighteenth session of the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics, Luxembourg, 6–9 July 1999. FAO Fisheries Report  No. 608. Rome. www.fao.org/3/x3554e/x3554e.pdf 

 TABLE 1 WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION, UTILIZATION AND TRADE1   1990s 2000s 2010s 2018 2019 2020 

Average per year 

Million tonnes (live weight equivalent) 

Production 

Capture: 

Inland 7.1 9.3 11.3 12.0 12.1 11.5 Marine 81.9 81.6 79.8 84.5 80.1 78.8 Total capture 88.9 90.9 91.0 96.5 92.2 90.3 Aquaculture: 

Inland 12.6 25.6 44.7 51.6 53.3 54.4 Marine 9.2 17.9 26.8 30.9 31.9 33.1 Total aquaculture 21.8 43.4 71.5 82.5 85.2 87.5 Total world fisheries and aquaculture 110.7 134.3 162.6 178.9 177.4 177.8 Utilization2 

Human consumption 81.6 109.3 143.2 156.8 158.1 157.4 Non-food uses 29.1 25.0 19.3 22.2 19.3 20.4 Population (billions)3 5.7 6.5 7.3 7.6 7.7 7.8 Per capita apparent consumption (kg) 14.3 16.8 19.5 20.5 20.5 20.2 Trade 

Exports – in quantity 39.6 51.6 61.4 66.8 66.6 59.8 Share of exports in total production 35.8% 38.5% 37.7% 37.3% 37.5% 33.7% Exports – in value (USD 1 billion) 46.6 76.4 141.8 165.3 161.8 150.5 

1 Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans and algae. Totals may not match due to rounding. 2 Utilization data for 2018–2020 are provisional estimates. 

3 Source of population figures: United Nations. 2019. 2019 Revision of World Population Prospects. In: UN. New York. Cited 22 April 2022.  https://population.un.org/wpp 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW FIGURE 1 WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION  

180 

160 

AQUACULTURE 

140 

120 

MILLION TONNES 

100 

80 

60 

CAPTURE 

40 

20 

0 

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Capture fisheries – 

Capture fisheries – marine waters 

marine waters 

Capture fisheries – 

Capture fisheries – inland waters 

inland waters 

Aquaculture – 

Aquaculture – marine waters 

marine waters 

Aquaculture – 

Aquaculture – inland waters 

inland waters 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent.  SOURCE: FAO. 

 FIGURE 2 WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION: UTILIZATION AND APPARENT  CONSUMPTION 

160 

24 

140 

21 

120 

18 

UTILIZATION (MILLION TONNES) 

100 

15 

80 

12 

60 

9 

40 

6 

FOOD 

20 

3 

0 

0 

NON-FOOD USES 

20 

40 

1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 Population (billions) Apparent consumption (kg/capita) 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. For algae and apparent  consumption, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. Source of population figures: United Nations. 2019. 2019 Revision of World Population  Prospects. In: UN. New York. Cited 22 April 2022. https://population.un.org/wpp  

SOURCE: FAO. 

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Aquatic foods remain some of the most traded  food commodities in the world, with 225 states  and territories reporting some trading activity  of fisheries and aquaculture products4 in 2020.  World exports of aquatic products4 in 2020,  

excluding algae, totalled about 60 million tonnes  live weight, worth USD 151 billion (Table 1).  This represents a major decline (8.4 percent in  value and 10.5 percent in volume) from the record  high of 67 million tonnes, worth USD 165 billion,  reached in 2018. Overall, from 1976 to 2020,  the value of global exports of fisheries and  aquaculture products (excluding algae) increased  at an average annual growth rate of 6.9 percent  in nominal terms and 3.9 percent in real terms  (adjusted for inflation), corresponding to an  annual growth rate of 2.9 percent in terms of  quantity over the same period. ■ 

TOTAL FISHERIES  AND AQUACULTURE  PRODUCTION4 

Total fisheries and aquaculture production  (excluding algae4) has significantly expanded  in the past seven decades going from 19 million  tonnes (live weight equivalent) in 1950 to an  all-time record of about 179 million tonnes in  2018, with an annual growth rate of 3.3 percent.  Production then declined marginally in 2019  (a fall of 1 percent compared with 2018), before  increasing by a mere 0.2 percent to reach  178 million tonnes in 2020. The total first sale  value of fisheries and aquaculture production  of aquatic animals in 2020 was estimated at  USD 406 billion, of which USD 265 billion came  from aquaculture production.  

The stagnation experienced in the last two years  is mainly linked to a slight decline in capture  fisheries, which decreased by 4.5 percent in  2019 compared with the 2018 peak of 96 million  tonnes, and then by a further 2.1 percent in  2020. This decline was due to various factors,  

4 For algae, aquatic products, fisheries and aquaculture production,  and fisheries and aquaculture products, see Glossary, including Context  of SOFIA 2022. 

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

including fluctuating catches of pelagic species,  particularly anchoveta, the recent reduction in  China’s catches and the impacts of COVID-19  on the sector in 2020 (see the sections Capture  fisheries production, p. 10, and COVID-19,  

a crisis like no other, p. 195, and Box 2).  

Furthermore, aquaculture production (the main  driver of the growth of total production since the  late 1980s) continued to expand, albeit at a slower  rate in the last two years (3.3 percent in 2018–2019  and 2.6 percent in 2019–2020 versus an average of  4.6 percent per year during the period 2010–2018)  (see the section Aquaculture production,  

p. 26). These lower growth rates are due to a  range of factors, including the impact of policy  changes in China focused on environmental  protection and various issues linked to COVID-19  in 2020 that not only impacted production for  export markets, but also reduced availability  of workers, supplies and inputs (including  feed, fingerlings and ice), while disruption to  transportation and marketing, plus sanitary  measures, also left their mark. As aquaculture  has grown faster than capture fisheries during  the last two years, its share of total fisheries and  aquaculture production has further increased.  Of the 178 million tonnes produced in 2020,  51 percent (90 million tonnes) was from capture  fisheries and 49 percent (88 million tonnes) from  aquaculture (Figure 3). This represents a major  change from the 4 percent share of aquaculture in  the 1950s, 5 percent in the 1970s, 20 percent in the  1990s and 44 percent in the 2010s. 

Of the total production, 63 percent (112 million  tonnes) was harvested in marine waters  

(70 percent from capture fisheries and 30 percent  from aquaculture) and 37 percent (66 million  tonnes) in inland waters (83 percent from  

aquaculture and 17 percent from capture  

fisheries) (Figure 4). The expansion of aquaculture  in the last few decades has boosted the overall  growth of production in inland waters. In 1950,  production in inland waters represented only  12 percent of the total fisheries and aquaculture  production and, with some fluctuations, this  share remained relatively stable until the late  1980s. Then, with the growth of aquaculture  production, it gradually increased to 18 percent  in the 1990s, 28 percent in the 2000s and  

34 percent in the 2010s. Despite this growth,  capture fisheries in marine waters still represent  

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 BOX 2 IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON GLOBAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION  AND RELATED STATISTICS 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact  on fisheries and aquaculture globally (see the section  COVID-19, a crisis like no other, p. 195), driven by  changes in consumer demand, market disruption  and the logistical difficulties of ensuring stringent  containment measures that prevented or hampered  fishing and aquaculture activities, including lockdowns,  curfews, physical distancing in operations and onboard  vessels, and port restrictions. 

In some countries, lockdowns caused drops in  demand with a consequent decline in the prices of  fisheries and aquaculture products. Many fishing fleets  or aquaculture operations stopped running or reduced  their activities, as their work became unprofitable, in  particular during the 2020 pandemic waves. In some  cases, fisheries quotas were not filled due to low  demand, market closures and/or lack of cold storage  capacity. Movement restrictions impacted professional  seafarers, including at-sea fisheries observers and  marine personnel in ports, thereby preventing crew  changes and repatriation of seafarers. In aquaculture,  unsold produce resulted in higher costs for feeding  and increased mortality rate among aquatic animals.  Fisheries and aquaculture production relying on export  markets was more impacted than that serving domestic  markets due to market closures, increased freight  costs, flight cancellations and border restrictions.  However, domestic fresh fish and shellfish supply was  also severely impacted by the closure of food service  sectors (e.g. hotels, restaurants and catering facilities,  including school and work canteens).1 

Globally, the impact varied with many countries  reporting sharp drops in capture and aquaculture  production during the first weeks and months of  the crisis followed by improvements as the sector  adapted. For example, at the height of the COVID-19  crisis in the United States of America, it is estimated  that catches dropped by up to 40 percent across  the country.2 Similarly, reductions in fishing effort  were noted in Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania,  particularly in the case of fleets relying extensively  on export markets of higher-value species such as  lobster or tunas.  

In some countries, the effective impact of  the pandemic on the fisheries and aquaculture  sector could not always be well monitored as the  routine collection and processing of fisheries and  aquaculture statistics was severely disrupted, also  opening doors for illegal, unreported and unregulated  fishing activities. Likewise, in many cases, surveys  at sea stopped entirely, jeopardizing the collection  of crucial data for stocks assessment across space  and time. In other cases, scientific observers could  not be deployed at sea due to difficulties ensuring  sanitary measures (e.g. physical distancing between  crew members at sea) or lack of necessary supplies  (e.g. face masks and gloves). Collection of data from  aquaculture facilities was also seriously affected.  

Traditional collection of fisheries and aquaculture  data at landing sites was routinely suspended in  many countries. This was also the case for household  surveys and censuses that are important sources of  information to assess the socio-economic dimension  of the sector and its trends. Overall, COVID-19  brought a new set of challenges to national statistics  systems and operations. These challenges were  not homogeneous among countries or even within  the same country, as some had better institutional,  financial, technological and digital capacities  to develop solutions. In some cases, alternative  data collection approaches and methods were  implemented, while in other countries data were  not collected for several months or only partially  collected. For some countries, there is a risk that the  different approaches adopted or the partial coverage  may have affected the quality and comparability of  their data for 2020. In terms of the data reported to  FAO, COVID-19 exacerbated ongoing issues of late or  non-reporting of fisheries and aquaculture statistics  in 2020 and 2021. In addition, data reported by  a few countries included anomalous trends that  necessitated direct follow-up with the countries  concerned, as well as cross-checking with other  sources to ensure the quality and consistency of the  data disseminated by FAO. 

1 FAO. 2020. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Q&A: COVID-19 pandemic – impact on fisheries and aquaculture. In: FAO. Rome. Cited 19 April 2022.  www.fao.org/2019-ncov/q-and-a/impact-on-fisheries-and-aquaculture/en 

2 White, E.R., Froehlich, H.E., Gephart, J.A., Cottrell, R.S., Branch, T.A., Bejarano, R.A. & Baum, J.K. 2020. Early effects of COVID-19 on US fisheries and  seafood consumption. Fish and Fisheries, 22(1): 232–239. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12525 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 3 WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION (EXCLUDING AND INCLUDING ALGAE) 

EXCLUDING ALGAE 

200 

180 

160 

140 

MILLION TONNES  

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

INCLUDING ALGAE 250 

200 

MILLION TONNES  

150 

100 

50 

0 

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture production 

Capture fisheries production Total 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 4 SHARE OF WORLD TOTAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY INLAND AND MARINE WATERS 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

PERCENTAGE 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Inland waters Marine waters 

NOTE: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans and algae. SOURCE: FAO. 

the main source of production (44 percent of total  aquatic animal production in 2020, compared  with about 87 percent in the 1950–1980 period)  and the dominant method of production for  several species. Following several decades of  sustained growth, marine capture fisheries have  remained fairly stable since the late 1980s at  around 80 million tonnes, with some interannual  fluctuations (up and down) in the range of  3–4 million tonnes.  

This general trend masks considerable  

variations between continents, regions and  countries. In 2020, Asian countries were the  main producers, accounting for 70 percent of  the total fisheries and aquaculture production  of aquatic animals, followed by countries in the  Americas (12 percent), Europe (10 percent), Africa  (7 percent) and Oceania (1 percent). Overall, total  fisheries and aquaculture production has seen  

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important increases in all the continents in  the last few decades (Figure 5). The exceptions  are Europe (with a gradual decrease from the  late 1980s, but recovering slightly in the last  few years to 2018, to then decline again) and  the Americas (with several ups and downs  since the peak of the mid-1990s, mainly due to  fluctuations in catches of anchoveta), whereas it  has almost doubled during the last 20 years in  Africa and Asia. Yet, compared with 2019, total  production of aquatic animals in 2020 declined  by 3 percent for African countries and 5 percent  for countries in Oceania, most probably as a  result of COVID-19. In 2020, China continued to  be the major producer with a share of 35 percent  of the total, followed by India (8 percent),  Indonesia (7 percent), Viet Nam (5 percent)  and Peru (3 percent). These five countries were  responsible for about 58 percent of the world  fisheries and aquaculture production of aquatic  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 5 REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION  Av. 1951–1970 

CHINA 

ASIA, 

EXCLUDING CHINA 

AMERICAS EUROPE 

AFRICA 

OCEANIA 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

Av. 1951–1970 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

Av. 1951–1970 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

Av. 1951–1970 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

Av. 1951–1970 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

Av. 1951–1970 

Av. 1971–1990 

Av. 1991–2010 

Av. 2011–2020 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 MILLION TONNES 

Capture fisheries –  marine waters 

Capture fisheries –  inland waters 

Aquaculture –  marine waters 

Aquaculture –  inland waters 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

animals in 2020. Differences exist also in  terms of the sector’s contribution to economic  development. In recent decades, a growing share  of total fisheries and aquaculture production  has been harvested by low- and middle-income  countries (from about 33 percent in the 1950s to  87 percent in 2020). In 2020, upper-middle-income  countries, including China, were the main  producers, responsible for 49 percent of the  total production of aquatic animals, followed  by lower-middle-income countries (32 percent),  high-income countries (17 percent) and, finally,  low-income countries (2 percent).  

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Major differences can be noticed when analysing  the data by FAO Major Fishing Area. In 2020,  about 33 percent of the total production of aquatic  animals was produced in inland waters in Asia,  followed by 22 percent in the Pacific Northwest  and 10 percent in the Western Central Pacific.  Overall, in the 1950s, more than 40 percent  of production was harvested in the Atlantic  Ocean; in contrast, in 2020, the largest share of  total production originated in the Pacific Ocean  (40 percent) and just 13 percent in the Atlantic  Ocean. Production differs from area to area  depending on several factors, including the level  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

of development of the countries surrounding  those areas, the fisheries and aquaculture  management measures implemented, the  amount of illegal, unreported and unregulated  (IUU) fishing, the status of fishery stocks, the  availability and quality of the inland waters,  and the composition of the species harvested.  For example, for some fishing areas, capture  fisheries can fluctuate more when catches  comprise a high proportion of small pelagic fish,  which are more prone to large fluctuations –  linked, in some areas, to climatic variability, as  is the case for catches of anchoveta in the Pacific  Southeast in South America.  

A large number of species are harvested every  year, with the number and species varying from  region to region. In 2020, finfish represented  76 percent of the total production of aquatic  animals, with marine fishes representing  51 percent of the total finfish and 39 percent of  the total aquatic animal production, followed by  freshwater fishes, representing 43 percent of the  total finfish and 33 percent of the total aquatic  animal production5 (Figure 6). Carps, barbels and  other cyprinids represented the main group  of species produced in 2020, with a share of  18 percent of the production of aquatic animals,  followed by miscellaneous freshwater species  and Clupeiforms such as herrings, sardines  and anchovies. At the level of species, with  5.8 million tonnes, whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus  vannamei) was the top species produced in 2020,  closely followed by grass carp(=white amur;  Ctenopharyngodon idellus), cupped oysters nei  (Crassostrea spp.), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys  molitrix) and anchoveta(=Peruvian anchovy;  Engraulis ringens).  

In addition to the 178 million tonnes of aquatic  animals, 36 million tonnes (wet weight) of algae  were produced in 2020, of which 97 percent  originated from aquaculture. Production of  algae has experienced an impressive growth  in the past few decades as it was at 12 million  tonnes in 2000 and 21 million tonnes in 2010.  However, it increased by only 2 percent in 2020  compared with 2019. Asian countries confirmed  their role as major producers with a share of  97 percent of the total production of algae.  

5 The remaining 6 percent of finfish comprised diadromous species. 

China alone as leading producer accounted for  58 percent of the overall total in 2020, followed  by Indonesia (27 percent) and the Republic of  Korea (5 percent).  

If production of algae is added to that of  

aquatic animals, fisheries and aquaculture  production reached an all-time record of  214 million tonnes in 2020, with an overall  growth of only 0.4 percent compared with 2019  and of 0.3 percent compared with the previous  record of 2018. Of this overall total, Asian  countries produced 75 percent in 2020, followed  by countries in the Americas (10 percent),  Europe (8 percent), Africa (6 percent) and  Oceania (1 percent). In the total fisheries and  aquaculture production of aquatic animals  and algae, aquaculture had already overtaken  capture fisheries as the primary source of  aquatic production in 2013, and its share in total  production reached 57 percent in 2020 (Figure 3). ■   

CAPTURE FISHERIES  PRODUCTION 

In 2020, global capture fisheries production  (excluding algae6) was 90.3 million tonnes  (Table 1) – a fall of 4.0 percent compared with the  average of the previous three years. The decrease  concerned both marine capture fisheries and  inland waters (3.9 percent and 4.3 percent,  respectively) and is most likely due to both the  disruption in fishing operations because of the  COVID-19 pandemic (Box 2) and the ongoing  reduction in China’s catches (10 percent lower  in 2020 compared with the average of the  previous three years). The 2017–2019 average  was high because of the peak experienced in  2018 (96.5 million tonnes) due to relatively  high catches of anchoveta (Engraulis ringens).  However, the long-term trend in global capture  fisheries continues to be relatively stable.  Catches have generally fluctuated between  86 million tonnes and 93 million tonnes per year  since the late 1980s (Figure 7).  

6 For algae, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. | 10 |

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 6 WORLD CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY ISSCAAP DIVISIONS, IN ABSOLUTE VALUES AND PERCENTAGE, 2020 

70 

60 

50 

MILLION TONNES 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Freshwater fishes Diadromous fishes Marine fishes Crustaceans Molluscs Miscellaneous 

Algae 

aquatic animals 

Aquaculture production Capture fisheries production 

100 

90 

80 

70 

PERCENTAGE 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Freshwater fishes Diadromous fishes Marine fishes Crustaceans Molluscs Miscellaneous 

Algae 

aquatic animals 

Aquaculture production Capture fisheries production 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators and caimans. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. ISSCAAP = International Standard  Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 7 TRENDS IN GLOBAL CAPTURES 120 

100 

80 

MILLION TONNES 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2020 Marine water captures (including anchoveta) Inland water captures Marine water captures (excluding anchoveta) 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

China remains the top capture producer  

despite the downward revision of its catches  for the period 2009–20167 and a decline of  around 19.3 percent between 2015 and 2020.  China accounted for almost 15 percent of global  captures in 2020, more than the total captures of  the second- and third-ranked countries combined.  The top seven capture producers (China,  

Indonesia, Peru, India, Russian Federation, United  States of America and Viet Nam) accounted  for almost 49 percent of total global capture  production (Figure 8), while the top 20 producers  accounted for over 73 percent.  

Catch trends in marine and inland waters,  representing, respectively, 87.3 percent and  12.7 percent of the global production of capture  fisheries in 2018–2020, are discussed further below. 

7 See Box 1 on p. 11 of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture  2020 (FAO, 2020a). 

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Marine capture production 

In 2020, global marine captures were  78.8 million tonnes, a decline of 6.8 percent  from the peak of 84.5 million tonnes in 2018,  when relatively high catches of anchoveta were  reported by Peru and Chile (Table 2).  

Marine captures were severely affected by  the disruption to fishing operations caused  by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020.  However, assessing the impact of the crisis on  marine water catches is difficult and needs  to be considered in the context of longer-term  trends in the sector, including the ongoing  reduction in catches reported by China in  recent years. The abundance of species such  as anchoveta, Pacific sardine (Sardinops  sagax) and Pacific jack mackerel (Trachurus  symmetricus), which are substantial but highly  variable due to El Niño events and variations  in oceanographic conditions, is also a major  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 8 TOP TEN GLOBAL CAPTURE PRODUCERS, 2020 

MILLION TONNES 

14 12 10 8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

60 

55%57% 

50 

52% 

49% 

45% 

40 

40% 

PERCENTAGE 

35% 

30 

29% 

22% 

20 

15% 

10 

0 

China Indonesia Peru India Russian 

FederationUnited States 

of AmericaViet Nam Japan Norway Bangladesh 

Marine water captures Inland water captures Share of global captures (cumulative %) 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

influence on interannual changes in global  marine captures. 

Compared with 2019 (i.e. prior to the COVID-19  pandemic), global marine captures decreased  by 1.6 percent in 2020, well within the limits  of interannual fluctuations in previous years.  Of the top ten producers for global capture  production, most reported catches in 2020  were either at the same level as or higher than  the catches for 2019 (e.g. Peru, India, Russian  Federation and Norway).  

Catches of major species have undergone marked  variations over the years, as well as fluctuations  in the catches among the top producing  

countries. A case in point is Indonesia, which  reported an increase in marine catches from  under 4 million tonnes in the early 2000s to over  6.7 million tonnes in 2018; these increases are in  part explained by changes to the country’s data  collection, processing and open data access with  

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the implementation of Satu Data (One Data) in  2016. Despite the initiatives to improve Indonesia’s  data collection, there are still major fluctuations  in its marine catches, in addition to issues of late  or non-reporting of data to FAO. 

Global production of marine capture fisheries  continues to be highly concentrated among a  small number of producers (Figure 9a). In 2020,  similar to previous years, the top seven producers  accounted for over 50 percent of total marine  captures, and China alone accounted for  14.9 percent of the world total (Table 2), followed  by Indonesia (8.2 percent), Peru (7.1 percent), the  Russian Federation (6.1 percent), the United States  of America (5.4 percent), India (4.7 percent) and  Viet Nam (4.2 percent).  

While China remains the world’s top producer  of marine captures, its catches declined from  14.4 million tonnes in 2015 to 11.8 million tonnes  in 2020, representing a decrease of 18.2 percent  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 2 MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: MAJOR PRODUCING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES  

Production (average per year) Production 

Percentage  

Country or territory 

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2017 2018 2019 2020 (million tonnes, live weight) 

of total,  2020 

China 3.82 9.96 12.43 13.24 13.19 12.68 12.15 11.77 15 Indonesia 1.74 3.03 4.37 5.98 6.56 6.71 6.56 6.43 8 Peru (total) 4.14 8.10 8.07 5.13 4.13 7.15 4.80 5.61 7 Peru (excluding anchoveta) 2.50 2.54 0.95 1.01 0.83 0.96 1.29 1.22 

Russian Federation 1.51 4.72 3.20 4.28 4.59 4.84 4.72 4.79 6 United States of America 4.53 5.15 4.75 4.89 5.01 4.77 4.81 4.23 5 India 1.69 2.60 2.95 3.55 3.94 3.62 3.67 3.71 5 Viet Nam 0.53 0.94 1.72 2.70 3.15 3.19 3.29 3.27 4 Japan 10.59 6.72 4.41 3.48 3.19 3.26 3.16 3.13 4 Norway 2.21 2.43 2.52 2.30 2.39 2.49 2.31 2.45 3 Chile (total) 4.52 5.95 4.02 2.16 1.92 2.12 1.98 1.77 2 Chile (excluding anchoveta) 4.00 4.45 2.75 1.40 1.29 1.27 1.23 1.27 

Philippines 1.32 1.68 2.10 1.92 1.72 1.65 1.67 1.76 2 Thailand 2.08 2.70 2.38 1.46 1.30 1.39 1.41 1.52 2 Malaysia 0.76 1.08 1.31 1.46 1.47 1.45 1.46 1.38 2 Republic of Korea 2.18 2.25 1.78 1.56 1.35 1.39 1.41 1.36 2 Morocco 0.46 0.68 0.97 1.28 1.36 1.36 1.44 1.36 2 Mexico 1.21 1.18 1.31 1.42 1.46 1.47 1.42 1.35 2 Iceland 1.43 1.67 1.66 1.20 1.18 1.26 1.04 1.02 1 Myanmar 0.50 0.61 1.10 1.15 1.27 1.15 1.06 1.01 1 Argentina 0.41 0.99 0.94 0.79 0.81 0.82 0.80 0.82 1 Spain 1.21 1.13 0.92 0.96 0.94 0.93 0.88 0.80 1 Oman 0.11 0.12 0.15 0.29 0.35 0.55 0.58 0.79 1 Denmark 1.86 1.71 1.05 0.73 0.90 0.79 0.63 0.73 1 Canada 1.41 1.09 1.01 0.83 0.81 0.81 0.75 0.71 1 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0.11 0.23 0.31 0.55 0.69 0.72 0.73 0.70 1 Bangladesh 0.18 0.28 0.46 0.61 0.64 0.65 0.66 0.67 1 Total 25 major producers 50.49 66.99 65.87 63.90 64.32 67.23 63.41 63.17 80 Total all other producers 21.61 14.86 15.72 15.89 17.16 17.27 16.69 15.62 20 World total 72.10 81.86 81.59 79.79 81.48 84.51 80.09 78.79 100 

NOTE: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 9 MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION, AVERAGE 2018–2020 

A) BY COUNTRY 

MILLION TONNES 

< 0.25 

0.25−1 

1−2 

2−4 

4−6 

> 6 

No data 

B) BY FAO MAJOR  

FISHING AREA 

67 

77 

18 18 

27 

21 37 

34 

61 

31 

71 

41 47 

8181 51 

57 

87 

48 58 

88 88 

20 

12 

6 

Main species groups 

3 

Demersal fish Tunas, bonitos, billfishes 

Other pelagic fish Other fish and aquatic animalsCatch 

1 

(million tonnes) 

The designations employed and the presentation of material on these maps do not imply the expression‎ of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status  of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in  Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. Final boundary between the  

Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined. A dispute exists between the Governments  of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). 

NOTE: Data expressed in live weight equivalent. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 3 MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: MAJOR SPECIES AND GENERA  

2007–2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Percentage 

Species item Finfish 

of total, 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 2020 

Anchoveta, Engraulis ringens 5 548 3 923 7 045 4 249 4 896 7 Alaska pollock, Gadus chalcogrammus 3 072 3 489 3 396 3 495 3 544 5 Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis 2 675 2 772 3 081 3 285 2 827 4 Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus 1 981 1 816 1 823 1 697 1 598 2 Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares 1 278 1 521 1 547 1 555 1 569 2 Blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou 904 1 559 1 712 1 517 1 487 2 Pacific chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus 1 404 1 514 1 554 1 417 1 360 2 European pilchard, Sardina pilchardus 1 130 1 434 1 604 1 496 1 331 2 Pacific sardine, Sardinops sagax 880 754 859 937 1 277 2 Scads nei,1 Decapterus spp. 1 189 1 186 1 336 1 293 1 265 2 Largehead hairtail, Trichiurus lepturus 1 292 1 221 1 150 1 136 1 144 2 Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua 1 091 1 308 1 221 1 133 1 078 2 Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus 948 1 219 1 047 869 1 049 2 Japanese anchovy, Engraulis japonicus 1 273 1 060 958 927 970 1 Others 41 623 44 142 43 671 42 608 41 341 62 Finfish total 66 288 68 918 72 002 67 612 66 734 100 Crustaceans 

Natantian decapods nei, Natantia 796 974 849 863 820 15 Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba 194 252 312 371 445 8 Gazami crab, Portunus trituberculatus 451 513 493 473 442 8 Fleshy prawn, Penaeus chinensis 127 181 223 216 367 7 Giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon 228 237 225 215 305 5 Marine crabs nei, Brachyura 289 343 307 323 290 5 Northern prawn, Pandalus borealis 321 223 249 251 255 5 Akiami paste shrimp, Acetes japonicus 567 453 439 402 251 4 Others 2 688 2 866 2 905 2 727 2 449 44 Crustaceans total 5 662 6 043 6 002 5 841 5 625 100 Molluscs 

Jumbo flying squid, Dosidicus gigas 866 763 892 914 877 15 Marine molluscs nei, Mollusca 763 644 658 707 600 10 

Various squids nei, Loliginidae,  

Ommastrephidae 613 655 571 614 529 9 Cephalopods nei, Cephalopoda 412 433 322 425 424 7 

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TABLE 3 (Continued) Species item 

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

2007–2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Percentage of total, 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 2020 

Yesso scallop, Mizuhopecten yessoensis 304 247 316 351 357 6 

Cuttlefish, bobtail squids nei, Sepiidae,  

Sepiolidae 303 395 347 365 353 6 Argentine shortfin squid, Illex argentinus 526 336 301 171 345 6 Others 2 785 2 486 2 549 2 624 2 438 41 Molluscs total 6 572 5 960 5 956 6 171 5 923 100 Other aquatic animals 

Jellyfishes nei, Rhopilema spp. 325 262 264 184 222 44 Aquatic invertebrates nei, Invertebrata 50 120 122 115 117 23 Sea cucumbers nei, Holothuroidea 26 38 48 48 43 9 Chilean sea urchin, Loxechinus albus 35 31 32 37 38 7 Cannonball jellyfish, Stomolophus meleagris 29 47 29 36 33 7 Sea urchins nei, Strongylocentrotus spp. 34 29 25 27 31 6 Others 24 28 24 23 20 4 Other aquatic animals total 522 555 544 470 503 100 Total all species 79 045 81 476 84 505 80 094 78 785  

1 nei: not elsewhere included. 

NOTE: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae.  

SOURCE: FAO. 

from 2015 and 7.2 percent from 2018 (an average  annual decrease of 3.9 percent). A continuation of  a catch reduction policy beyond the Thirteenth  and Fourteenth Five-Year Plans (2016–2020  and 2021–2025) is expected to result in further  decreases in coming years.   

While total catches for China in the FAO  

database are generally considered to be complete,  improvements are needed to more accurately  assign China’s distant-water fishery catches by  area and disaggregate catches by species. 

Of the 11.8 million tonnes reported by China in  2020, a total of 2.3 million tonnes came under  “distant-water fishery”, with details on species  and fishing area only provided for distant-water  catches marketed in area 61, the Northwest  Pacific. A portion of the remainder of China’s  distant-water fishery catches was attributed to  other fishing areas through data available from  

| 17 |

the regional fisheries management organizations  (RFMOs) and the remaining 1.8 million tonnes  were entered in the FAO database under “marine  fishes not elsewhere included” in area 61, possibly  overstating the catches occurring in this area and  the overall amount of unspecified marine fish  caught by China. 

The FAO global marine capture database includes  catches for more than 2 600 species (including  “not elsewhere included” categories); finfish  represent about 85 percent of total marine capture  production, with small pelagics as the main  group, followed by gadiformes and tuna and  tuna-like species. An overview of marine catch  data by main species group and by FAO Major  Fishing Area is shown in Figure 9b.8 

8 For more information on FAO Major Fishing Areas, see www.fao.org/ fishery/en/area/search 

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 4 INLAND AND MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: FAO MAJOR FISHING AREAS  

Production (average per year) Production 

Fishing  

Percentage  

area  code 

Fishing area name 

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2017 2018 2019 2020 (million tonnes, live weight) 

of total,  2020 

Inland water captures 

01 Africa – inland waters 1.47 1.89 2.33 2.87 3.01 3.02 3.24 3.21 28 02 America, North –  

inland waters 0.23 0.21 0.18 0.21 0.23 0.30 0.21 0.19 2 03 America, South –  

inland waters 0.32 0.33 0.39 0.36 0.36 0.34 0.35 0.34 3 04 Asia – inland waters 2.87 4.17 5.98 7.39 7.85 7.90 7.89 7.29 64 05 Europe – inland  

waters1 0.28 0.43 0.36 0.40 0.41 0.41 0.39 0.42 4 06 Oceania – inland waters 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0 07 Former Soviet Union  

area – inland waters 0.51 – – – – – – – 0 Inland waters total 5.70 7.05 9.26 11.26 11.88 11.99 12.09 11.47 100 Marine water captures 

21 Atlantic, Northwest 2.91 2.33 2.22 1.84 1.75 1.73 1.73 1.54 8 27 Atlantic, Northeast 10.44 10.39 9.81 8.65 9.35 9.34 8.28 8.31 41 31 Atlantic, Western  

Central 2.01 1.83 1.56 1.38 1.46 1.51 1.39 1.25 6 34 Atlantic, Eastern Central 3.20 3.56 3.76 4.75 5.38 5.49 5.37 4.95 24 37 Mediterranean and  

Black Sea 1.84 1.50 1.54 1.31 1.35 1.29 1.39 1.19 6 41 Atlantic, Southwest 1.78 2.25 2.15 1.90 1.82 1.77 1.65 1.70 8 47 Altantic, Southeast 2.32 1.56 1.54 1.53 1.70 1.58 1.36 1.36 7 

Atlantic Ocean and  

Mediterranean total 24.50 23.41 22.57 21.37 22.81 22.72 21.17 20.30 100 51 Indian Ocean, Western 2.38 3.68 4.24 4.87 5.45 5.53 5.60 5.63 46 57 Indian Ocean, Eastern 2.67 4.13 5.48 6.42 7.10 6.74 6.77 6.59 54 

Indian Ocean total 5.05 7.81 9.72 11.29 12.55 12.27 12.36 12.22 100 61 Pacific, Northwest 20.95 21.80 19.97 20.62 20.26 20.25 19.54 19.15 42 67 Pacific, Northeast 2.74 2.98 2.79 3.06 3.40 3.11 3.19 2.86 6 71 Pacific, Western  

Central 5.94 8.51 10.80 12.51 12.76 13.33 13.33 13.26 29 77 Pacific, Eastern Central 1.62 1.44 1.81 1.84 1.74 1.70 1.85 1.69 4 81 Pacific, Southwest 0.57 0.82 0.69 0.53 0.47 0.46 0.47 0.43 1 87 Pacific, Southeast 10.23 14.90 13.10 8.31 7.21 10.33 7.80 8.40 18 Pacific Ocean total 42.06 50.45 49.16 46.87 45.84 49.19 46.17 45.80 100 

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TABLE 4 (Continued) Fishing  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

Production (average per year) Production 

Percentage  

area  

code 

18, 48,  

Fishing area name Arctic and Antarctic  

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2017 2018 2019 2020 (million tonnes, live weight) 

of total,  2020 

58, 88 

areas total 0.48 0.19 0.14 0.27 0.27 0.33 0.39 0.46 100 Marine waters total 72.10 81.86 81.59 79.79 81.48 84.51 80.09 78.79 

Marine captures by major fishing area 

Temperate areas 41.24 42.07 39.16 37.92 38.41 37.96 36.25 35.19 45 Tropical areas 13.01 18.14 22.07 25.17 26.76 27.11 27.08 26.73 34 Upwelling areas 17.37 21.45 20.21 16.44 16.03 19.11 16.38 16.41 21 

Arctic and Antarctic  

areas total 0.48 0.19 0.14 0.27 0.27 0.33 0.39 0.46 1 

Total marine waters:  

major fishing areas 72.10 81.86 81.59 79.79 81.48 84.51 80.09 78.79 100 

1 Includes the Russian Federation. 

NOTE: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae.  

SOURCE: FAO. 

In 2020, catches of anchoveta once again made  it the top species, at almost 4.9 million tonnes  per year, albeit lower than the 2018 peak that  exceeded 7.0 million tonnes. Alaska pollock  (Gadus chalcogrammus) was second, at 3.5 million  tonnes, while skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)  ranked third for the eleventh consecutive year, at  2.8 million tonnes (Table 3).  

Despite measures implemented in 2020 to  contain COVID-19 – which, in many cases,  negatively impacted demand with restrictions on  transportation and access to global markets, as  well as closure of the food service sector – catches  of four of the most highly valuable groups (tunas,  cephalopods, shrimps and lobsters) remained at  some of their highest levels in 2020 or declined  marginally from peak catches recorded in the  previous five years: 

▶ Tuna and tuna-like species catches continued  to reach some of the highest levels recorded,  although catches decreased from 8.2 million  tonnes in 2019 to 7.8 million tonnes in 2020 as  fresh tuna exports and the sashimi market were  impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. Most recent  increases in catches have been in area 71, the  

| 19 |

Western Central Pacific, which increased from  about 2.7 million tonnes in the mid-2000s to  almost 3.8 million tonnes in 2019, with a decline  of more than 5 percent in 2020 (3.6 million  tonnes). Within this species group, skipjack and  yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) accounted  for over 55 percent of catches.  

▶ Cephalopod catches declined to between  3.5 million tonnes and 3.8 million tonnes  following their peak catches of 4.9 million  tonnes in 2014. Nevertheless, they remained  at the relatively high levels that have marked  their almost continuous growth over the last  20 years; in 2020, catches were 3.7 million  tonnes. Cephalopods are fast-growing species  highly influenced by environmental variability,  which probably explains the fluctuations in  their catches, including for the three main  squid species – jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus  gigas), Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus)  and Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus).  

▶ Shrimp and prawn catches recorded a new  high in 2017 of almost 3.4 million tonnes,  mostly due to the continued recovery in catches  of Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri),  which offset declines in the other main  shrimp species, notably akiami paste shrimp  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 10 MARINE CAPTURE PRODUCTION: TRENDS IN THREE MAIN CATEGORIES OF FISHING AREAS 50 

40 

MILLION TONNES 

30 

20 

10 

0 

1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2020 

Temperate areas 

Tropical areas Upwelling areas 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

(Acetes japonicus) and southern rough shrimp  (Trachysalambria curvirostris). In 2020, catches  were 3.2 million tonnes, continuing the trend of  recent years with catches fluctuating between  3.1 million tonnes and 3.4 million tonnes  

per year. 

▶ Lobster catches decreased to 255 000 tonnes  in 2020 – the lowest level since 2009 – as  

lobster was one of the high-value species  

most impacted by COVID-19 restrictions  

and the closure of global export markets.  

As restrictions are eased, catches are expected  to recover to the levels above 300 000 tonnes  seen in recent years, particularly of American  lobster (Homarus americanus), which accounts  for over half of catches in this group.  

Catch statistics by FAO Major Fishing Area for the  last five years, as well as marine catches in recent  decades, are presented in Table 4 for the following  categories (Figure 10):  

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▶ temperate areas (areas 21, 27, 37, 41, 61, 67  and 81);  

▶ tropical areas (areas 31, 51, 57 and 71);  ▶ upwelling areas (areas 34, 47, 77 and 87);   ▶ Arctic and Antarctic areas (areas 18, 48, 58  and 88).  

In 2020, catches in temperate areas were  35.2 million tonnes, marginally lower than in  previous years. Otherwise, catches have generally  remained stable at between 36.2 million tonnes  and 39.6 million tonnes per year since the early  2000s, following the two highest peaks in catches  (about 45 million tonnes) in 1988 and 1997.   

Area 61, the Northwest Pacific, recorded the  highest production at 19.2 million tonnes, or  24 percent of global marine landings, in 2020.  As stated above, catches for this area include a  proportion of China’s distant-water fishing fleet  catches (recorded as “marine fishes not elsewhere  

included”), which are caught in other fishing  areas but are assigned to area 61 in the absence  of detailed information on where they were  effectively caught.  

Catches in other temperate areas have been  mostly stable in the last ten years, with the  exception of recent decreases in areas 41 and  81, the Southwest Atlantic and the Southwest  Pacific, partly the result of greatly reduced  catches by distant-water fishing nations  targeting cephalopods in the Southwest Atlantic  and various species in the Southwest Pacific.   

In tropical areas, catches in the Indian Ocean  (areas 51 and 57) and the Western Central Pacific  (area 71) reached their highest levels recorded  at, respectively, 12.5 million tonnes (2017) and  13.3 million tonnes (2018). Catches have since  decreased but remain only marginally below the  peak catches of recent years.  

In the Indian Ocean, catches have increased  steadily since the 1980s, particularly in area 57,  the Eastern Indian Ocean, with catches of small  pelagics, large pelagics (tunas and billfish) and  shrimps driving most of the increase.  

Area 71, the Western Central Pacific, reported  the second largest landings by area in 2020 with  13.3 million tonnes. Catches have also increased  steadily since the 1950s, with tuna and tuna-like  species accounting for most of the increase.  Skipjack tuna in particular has increased from  1.0 million tonnes to almost 1.9 million tonnes in  the last 20 years, while catches for the other main  species groups have mostly remained stable.   

In area 31, the Western Central Atlantic,  catches have declined from the peak catches of  2.5 million tonnes in the mid-1980s, but have  been relatively stable since the mid-2000s,  fluctuating between 1.2 million tonnes and  1.6 million tonnes per year. Trends in total  production are largely dependent on catches by  the United States of America of Gulf menhaden  (Brevoortia patronus), a clupeoid species that  is processed into fishmeal and fish oil and  accounts for over 30 percent of the total catches.  

Catches in upwelling areas are characterized  by high interannual variability. Their combined  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

catches are highly influenced by catches in  area 87, the Southeast Pacific, where El Niño  oceanographic conditions strongly influence the  abundance of anchoveta. Such catches account  for 50–70 percent of total catches in area 87.   

The long-term trend in area 87 has been one  of declining catches since the mid-1990s, even  taking into account the fluctuation in catches of  anchoveta. Annual catches have decreased from  over 20 million tonnes in 1994 to between about  7 million tonnes and 10 million tonnes in recent  years – driven by decreasing catches of two of  the main species: anchoveta and Chilean jack  mackerel (Trachurus murphyi). However, high-value  catches of jumbo flying squid have grown  

significantly since the early 2000s, partially  offsetting the decline in catches of other species.  Catches of jumbo flying squid grew from about  128 000 tonnes in 2000 to peak at 1 million tonnes  in 2015, before fluctuating in subsequent years  and reaching 880 000 tonnes in 2020.  

In area 34, the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean,  catches have increased almost continuously,  reaching 5.5 million tonnes in 2018, the highest  catches recorded, before declining to 4.9 million  tonnes in 2020. In area 47, the Southeast Atlantic,  the opposite trend is recorded, with catches  progressively decreasing from the peak of  

3.3 million tonnes in 1978 to 1.4 million tonnes  in 2020.  

In area 77, the Eastern Central Pacific, catches  have generally remained static, ranging  

from 1.6 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes  per year.  

While total catches in Antarctic fishing areas  (areas 48, 58 and 88) are relatively minor, catches  have increased sharply in recent years, from  270 000 tonnes in 2017 to 462 000 tonnes in  2020, the highest catches since the early 1990s.   Catches in the region are almost entirely driven  by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), which  increased from less than 100 000 tonnes in the  late 1990s to 455 000 tonnes in 2020, following  a decline in the early 1990s. Catches of the  

second-most important species, Patagonian  toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), continue to  be relatively stable at between 10 500 tonnes and  12 200 tonnes per year. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW TABLE 5 INLAND WATERS CAPTURE PRODUCTION: MAJOR PRODUCING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES  

Production (average per year) Production 

Percentage  

Country 

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2017 2018 2019 2020 (million tonnes, live weight) 

of total,  2020 

Top 25 inland water capture producers 

India 0.50 0.58 0.84 1.43 1.59 1.70 1.79 1.80 16 China 0.54 1.46 2.11 2.03 2.18 1.96 1.84 1.46 13 Bangladesh 0.44 0.50 0.86 1.08 1.16 1.22 1.24 1.25 11 Myanmar 0.14 0.15 0.48 0.85 0.89 0.89 0.89 0.84 7 Uganda 0.19 0.22 0.33 0.44 0.39 0.44 0.60 0.57 5 Indonesia 0.27 0.31 0.31 0.47 0.47 0.66 0.71 0.49 4 Cambodia 0.05 0.09 0.34 0.46 0.47 0.42 0.40 0.41 4 United Republic of Tanzania 0.25 0.29 0.30 0.31 0.33 0.31 0.38 0.41 4 Nigeria 0.10 0.10 0.21 0.35 0.42 0.39 0.37 0.35 3 Egypt 0.12 0.23 0.27 0.25 0.26 0.27 0.30 0.32 3 Russian Federation 0.09 0.26 0.22 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.25 0.28 2 Brazil 0.20 0.18 0.24 0.23 0.22 0.22 0.22 0.22 2 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.13 0.17 0.23 0.22 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.21 2 Malawi 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.14 0.20 0.22 0.15 0.17 1 Mexico 0.10 0.11 0.11 0.15 0.17 0.22 0.16 0.15 1 Viet Nam 0.11 0.14 0.21 0.16 0.16 0.16 0.15 0.15 1 Pakistan 0.07 0.13 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.15 1 Philippines 0.26 0.19 0.15 0.18 0.16 0.16 0.15 0.15 1 Thailand 0.10 0.18 0.21 0.19 0.19 0.14 0.13 0.13 1 Mali 0.07 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.09 0.11 0.12 1 Chad 0.05 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 1 Zambia 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.11 1 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 0.01 0.09 0.07 0.09 0.10 0.11 0.10 0.10 1 Kenya 0.09 0.18 0.14 0.13 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 1 Mozambique 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.12 0.10 1 Top 25 producers 4.02 5.86 8.07 9.95 10.52 10.64 10.74 10.13 88 Total all other producers 1.67 1.19 1.19 1.31 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.34 12 All producers 5.70 7.05 9.26 11.26 11.88 11.99 12.09 11.47 100 Inland water captures, by region 

Asia 2.87 4.17 5.98 7.39 7.85 7.90 7.89 7.29 64 Africa 1.47 1.89 2.33 2.87 3.01 3.02 3.24 3.21 28 Americas 0.56 0.54 0.58 0.57 0.59 0.64 0.55 0.53 5 Europe 0.28 0.43 0.36 0.40 0.41 0.41 0.39 0.42 4 Oceania 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0 Others1 0.51 – – – – – – 0 World total 5.70 7.05 9.26 11.26 11.88 11.99 12.09 11.47 100 

1 Includes the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 

NOTE: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 11 TOP FIVE INLAND WATERS CAPTURE PRODUCERS 

2.5 

2.0 

MILLION TONNES 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

China 

India Bangladesh Myanmar Uganda 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent.  SOURCE: FAO. 

Inland waters capture production 

In 2020, total global catches in inland waters  were 11.5 million tonnes (Table 5), a decrease of  5.1 percent from 2019. As with marine capture  production, fishing operations in inland waters  were severely impacted by the COVID-19  

pandemic during 2020, and this was compounded  by the decline in China’s catches. Despite the  decrease in 2020, inland water catches remain  at historically high levels and only marginally  below the highest levels of 12.0 million tonnes  recorded in 2019.  

The long-term rising trend in inland fisheries  production can partially be attributed to  

improved reporting and assessment at the  country level. Nevertheless, many of the data  collection systems for inland waters are still  unreliable, or in some cases non-existent;  furthermore, improvements in reporting may  

| 23 |

also mask trends in individual countries.  Equally important, many countries do not  report catches for inland fisheries, or they  

report only partial catches, while FAO estimates  a proportionately higher amount of the total  catches for inland waters compared with  marine waters.  

For the first time since the mid-1980s, China  was not the top producer of inland water  catches in 2020 and instead the highest catches  were reported by India at 1.8 million tonnes.  While China continues to be one of the largest  producers of inland water capture fisheries,  reported catches have decreased by over  33 percent from 2.2 million tonnes in 2017 to  1.5 million tonnes in 2020.  This significant  decrease is the result of recently introduced  policies by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and  Rural Affairs, most notably a ten-year fishing  ban in the waters of the Yangtze River, that aim  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 12 INLAND CAPTURE PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY, AVERAGE 2018–2020 

THOUSAND TONNES 

< 75 

75−300 

300−600 

600−1 200 

> 1 200 

No data 

The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression‎ of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of  any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in  Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. Final boundary between the  Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined. A dispute exists between the Governments  of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). 

NOTE: Data expressed in live weight equivalent. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

for conservation of living aquatic resources,  with the underlying rationale that improvements  in and expansion of inland aquaculture  

and culture-based fisheries can meet the  

increased demand for aquatic food9 arising  from the reduction in catches from inland  capture fisheries. 

With the exception of China, the increase in  inland water catches continues to be driven by  several major producing countries – notably India,  Bangladesh, Myanmar and Uganda (Figure 11).  Most of the countries reporting declining catches  represent a relatively low contribution to global  production of inland water captures, although  some supply important quantities to national or  

9 For aquatic food, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. | 24 |

regional diets – in particular, Cambodia, Brazil,  Viet Nam and Thailand. 

Inland water captures are more concentrated  than marine captures among major producing  nations endowed with important waterbodies  or river basins (Figure 12). In 2020, 13 countries  produced over 75 percent of total inland  captures, compared with 20 countries for  marine captures. 

For the same reason, the top producers of inland  water captures are also more concentrated  geographically and are particularly important  in terms of the contribution to total captures  in Asia, where inland water catches provide  an important food source for many local  communities. Asia has consistently accounted  

for around two-thirds of global inland water  production since the mid-2000s, while the  top four producers are all located in Asia and  accounted for over 46 percent of total inland  water catches in 2020.   

At the global level, Africa accounts for  over 25 percent of inland captures, which  represent an important source of food security,  particularly in the case of landlocked and  low-income countries. The combined catches for  Europe and the Americas account for around  8 percent of total inland captures, while in  Oceania catches are negligible.  

Three major species groups account for over  75 percent of total inland water catches. The first  group, “carps, barbels and other cyprinids”,  has shown a continuous increase, rising  from about 0.7 million tonnes per year in the  mid-2000s to almost 1.9 million tonnes in 2020,  and explains most of the increase in catches  from inland waters in recent years. Catches of  the second-largest group, “tilapias and other  cichlids”, have also started to increase in recent  years from 0.7 million tonnes to 0.9 million  tonnes per year. Catches of the third-largest  group, “freshwater crustaceans”, have generally  remained stable at between 0.4 million tonnes  and 0.45 million tonnes per year; however, in  2020, catches fell to 0.3 million tonnes, mostly  as a result of the decrease in China’s inland  water catches. 

Data sources and quality of FAO  capture statistics 

National reports are the main, although not the  only, source of data used to maintain and update  FAO’s capture fishery databases. Hence, the  quality of FAO statistics is highly dependent on  the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the  data collected by national fisheries institutions  and reported annually to FAO. 

Often, the data submitted are incomplete,  inconsistent or do not comply with international  reporting standards, and FAO works to curate  the data in collaboration with countries to  improve their data collection and reporting,  expanding to cover more species. As a result,  the species breakdown (an indicator of quality  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

and coverage in reported catches) more than  doubled between 1996 (1 035 species) and 2020  (2 981 species). However, a significant proportion  of catches are still not reported at the species  level, particularly for groups such as sharks, rays  and chimaeras in marine capture. In the case of  inland water captures, the category of freshwater  fishes nei (Actinopterygii) accounts for around  50 percent of global inland water captures in  recent years.  

The quality and completeness of data also vary  considerably between marine and inland water  captures, with marine catches having generally  more complete data available by species than do  

inland captures. 

Alternatively, FAO informs users of the countries  where the long-term official catch series may  be subject to inconsistencies due to breaks in  the time series as a result of changes in the data  collection. While improvements in national data  collection and reporting systems are always  welcome, unless accompanied by corrections  to historical data, they can result in abrupt  changes to the total national catch and, if species  breakdown is also improved, to trends at the  species level.  

Issues of timeliness or the non-reporting of  data to FAO affect the quality and completeness  of FAO’s estimates of total capture fisheries.  The late submission of questionnaires makes  it challenging for FAO to process, validate  

and review the capture fisheries statistics – in  particular for the most recent year – prior to the  official release of the data, usually in mid-March  every year. In the absence of national reports  or in the event of inconsistencies in the data,  FAO may make estimates based on the best data  available from alternative official data sources  (including data published by RFMOs, or through  standard methodologies). 

FAO continues to express concern that a  

number of countries have not responded to  FAO questionnaires in recent years or report  incomplete data. These countries include some  large capture producers such as Indonesia, Brazil,  Mauritania and Cambodia. Issues regarding  the timeliness or non-reporting of data to FAO  were exacerbated in 2020 by the disruption in  

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

regular data collection activities caused by the  COVID-19 pandemic. 

Improvements in the overall quality of the  catch data in FAO’s global databases can  only be obtained by enhancing the national  data collection systems, to produce better  information that can support policy and  management decisions at the national and  regional levels (Box 1, p. 2). FAO continues to  support projects to improve national data  collection systems, including sampling schemes  based on sound statistical analysis, coverage  of fisheries subsectors not sampled before, and  standardization of sampling at landing sites. ■ 

AQUACULTURE  

PRODUCTION 

Overall production status and trend 

Global aquaculture production retained its  growth trend in 2020 amid the worldwide spread  of the COVID-19 pandemic (see the section  COVID-19, a crisis like no other, p. 195, and Box 2,  p. 6), albeit with differences among regions and  among producing countries within each region.  The total aquaculture production comprised  87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals mostly for  use as human food, 35.1 million tonnes of algae10 for both food and non-food uses, 700 tonnes of  shells and pearls for ornamental use, reaching  a total of 122.6 million tonnes in live weight  in 2020 (Figure 13). This represents an increase  of 6.7 million tonnes from 115.9 million tonnes  in 2018. The estimated total farm gate value  was USD 281.5 billion in 2020, an increase of  USD 18.5 billion from 2018 and USD 6.7 billion  from 2019. 

World aquaculture production of animal species  grew by 2.7 percent in 2020 compared with 2019,  an all-time low rate of annual growth in over  40 years. However, the net increase of 2.3 million  tonnes in the same period was comparable to  some years in the last decade. Finfish farming  remained steady with minimal fluctuation  around 66 percent and accounting for the largest  

10 For algae, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

share of world aquaculture for decades. In 2020,  farmed finfish reached 57.5 million tonnes  (USD 146.1 billion), including 49.1 million tonnes  (USD 109.8 billion) from inland aquaculture  and 8.3 million tonnes (USD 36.2 billion) from  mariculture in the sea and coastal aquaculture  on the shore. Production of other farmed  

aquatic animal species reached 17.7 million  tonnes of molluscs (USD 29.8 billion) mostly  bivalves, 11.2 million tonnes of crustaceans  (USD 81.5 billion), 525 000 tonnes of aquatic  

invertebrates (USD 2.5 billion) and 537 000 tonnes  of semi-aquatic species including turtles and  frogs (USD 5 billion).  

Global cultivation of algae, dominated by marine  macroalgae known as seaweeds, grew by half  a million tonnes in 2020, up by 1.4 percent  from 34.6 million tonnes in 2019. Some major  producing countries including China and Japan  experienced growth in 2020, while seaweed  harvests decreased in Southeast Asia and the  Republic of Korea. 

At the regional level, African aquaculture  (excluding algae) suffered from a slight  

contraction in its annual output (down  

1.2 percent in 2020 compared with 2019), mainly  the result of the drop in production in Egypt,  Africa’s major producer. In Nigeria, the largest  producer in sub-Saharan Africa, the declining  trend since 2016 worsened in 2020 with a sharp  decrease of 9.6 percent. Aquaculture in the  rest of Africa enjoyed a double-digit growth  of 14.5 percent reaching 396 700 tonnes in  2020 from 346 400 tonnes in 2019. All other  regions experienced continued growth in 2020.  Chile, China and Norway – the top producers  in the Americas, Asia and Europe, respectively  – all experienced growth in 2020, offsetting  the decreased output that occurred in some  countries in their respective regions.  

In the period 1990–2020, total world aquaculture  expanded by 609 percent in annual output with  an average growth rate of 6.7 percent per year.  The average annual growth rate had decreased  gradually from 9.5 percent during the period  1990–2000 to 4.6 percent during 2010–2020.  The growth rate reduced further to 3.3 percent  per year in the most recent years (2015–2020).  Next to the falling trend in growth rate in  

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 13 WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION, 1991–2020 

140 

120 

100 

MILLION TONNES 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 

Finfish – 

inland 

aquaculture 

Finfish – marine and coastal 

aquaculture 

Crustaceans –  inland 

aquaculture 

Crustaceans – coastal 

aquaculture 

Molluscs Other aquatic 

animalsAlgae 

NOTES: Data exclude shells and pearls. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

relative terms, it is important to note the net  increase in world production in absolute terms  over three decades. Additional details of world  aquaculture growth are presented in Table 6.  

Aquaculture development has exhibited  

different fluctuating patterns in growth among  regions. In the largest producing region, Asia,  growth in the period 1990–2020 has been  

relatively steady in the major aquaculture  

countries, although with decreasing growth  rates. Other regions have had relatively  

fluctuating growth in the same period,  

experiencing negative growth in some years  (Figure 14).  

Source of aquaculture data for analysis 

As in past editions, the analysis of status and  trends in aquaculture development relies on,  

| 27 |

though is not limited to, FAO’s global aquaculture  production data of 1950–2020 released in March  2022, including data adjustment for some back  years for some countries as per routine standard  statistical practices. The retroactive adjustments  concern certain data-poor countries, but do not  modify the conclusions on a global and regional  scale reported in The State of World Fisheries and  Aquaculture 2020.  

For example, in 2020, FAO’s aquaculture data on  farmed animal species covered 207 countries and  territories, including national data reported or  retrieved from official sources for 122 of them  (59 percent). However, total production data of  these countries reached over 85.4 million tonnes,  representing 97.6 percent of world production  in 2020. At the species or species group level,  to distinguish between inland and coastal  aquaculture and to take into account the type of  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 6 WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION AND GROWTH 

1990–2020 1990–2000 2000–2010 2010–2020 2015–2020 

All aquaculture 

A. Starting annual output (million tonnes) 17.3 17.3 43.0 77.9 104.0 B. Ending year’s annual output (million tonnes) 122.6 43.0 77.9 122.6 122.6 C. Accumulated increase in annual output (million tonnes) 105.3 25.7 34.9 44.6 18.6 D. Overall increase 609% 149% 81% 57% 18% E. Average annual growth rate 6.7% 9.5% 6.1% 4.6% 3.3% Aquatic animals 

A. Starting annual output (million tonnes) 13.1 13.1 32.4 57.8 72.9 B. Ending year’s annual output (million tonnes) 87.5 32.4 57.8 87.5 87.5 C. Accumulated increase in annual output (million tonnes) 74.4 19.3 25.3 29.7 14.6 D. Overall increase 569% 148% 78% 51% 20% E. Average annual growth rate 6.5% 9.5% 5.9% 4.2% 3.7% Algae 

A. Starting annual output (million tonnes) 4.2 4.2 10.6 20.2 31.1 B. Ending year’s annual output (million tonnes) 35.1 10.6 20.2 35.1 35.1 C. Accumulated increase in annual output (million tonnes) 30.9 6.4 9.6 14.9 4.0 D. Overall increase 736% 153% 90% 74% 13% E. Average annual growth rate 7.3% 9.7% 6.7% 5.7% 2.5% SOURCE: FAO. 

water used, FAO corrected omissions in statistical  details in official data that were questionable  or available in highly aggregated form in line  with internationally established standards of  classification and identification.  

Out of 61 producing countries and territories  reporting algae cultivation, FAO collected official  production data from 36 of them; their combined  production was 34.7 million tonnes, or 98 percent  of world production in 2020.  

Production distribution and  

major producers 

Asia has overwhelmingly dominated world  aquaculture for decades, producing 91.6 percent  of global aquatic animals and algae in 2020.  However, there are huge differences in the  level of aquaculture development between  countries within Asia. Countries such as  

| 28 |

Mongolia, Timor-Leste and some countries in  Central and West Asia are in need of accelerated  aquaculture development to exploit their  aquaculture potential.  

The uneven distribution in aquaculture production  and the disparity in aquaculture development  status across regions and among countries in  the same region have not shown significant  improvement for decades. Many developing  countries, in particular low-income countries,  face great challenges to achieve their national  aspirations of aquaculture development in support  of national food production to feed and create jobs  for their growing populations.  

Data in Table 7 illustrate the global distribution  of aquaculture production by region, reflecting  the lingering situation of dominance by a  small number of major producers at the global,  regional and subregional levels. Since 1991, China  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 14 ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF AQUATIC ANIMAL AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY CONTINENT,  1990–2020  

PERCENTAGE PERCENTAGE PERCENTAGE 

AFRICA 

60 

60 

PERCENTAGE 

40 

40 

20 

20 

0 

0 

−20 

−20 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

ASIA 

60 

60 

PERCENTAGE 

40 

40 

20 

20 

0 

0 

−20 

−20 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

OCEANIA 

60 

60 

PERCENTAGE 

40 

40 

20 

20 

0 

0 

−20 

−20 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

AMERICAS 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 EUROPE 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 WORLD 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

SOURCE: FAO. 

(mainland) has produced more farmed aquatic  animals and algae than the rest of the world.  Its share in world aquaculture production was  56.7 percent for aquatic animals and 59.5 percent  for algal farming in 2020 – similar to recent years.  

Production of the main groups of farmed  species differs significantly across regions  and countries. Some middle-income countries  dominate inland aquaculture production of  finfish species. Some such as Norway and  Chile (endowed with large areas of fjords  protected from rough sea), plus China from  

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the middle-income group, dominate world  mariculture of finfish species with sea cages.  Atlantic salmon is representative of sea cage  culture of coldwater species, while finfish  produced by sea cage farmers in China  are mostly warmwater species and their  composition is more diverse. Figure 15 presents  the distribution patterns among leading  producers or subregions for comparison of  selected main species groups.  

Marine shrimps dominate the production  of crustaceans from coastal aquaculture in  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 7 WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY REGION AND SELECTED MAJOR PRODUCERS  2010 2020 

Regions and  

selected countries 

Animals Algae All species Animals Algae All species (thousand tonnes, live weight) 

Africa1 286.1 138.3 1 424.4 2 250.2 104.1 2 354.3 (percentage in world) (2.23) (0.69) (1.83) (2.57) (0.30) (1.92) Egypt 919.6 919.6 1 591.9 1 591.9 (percentage in Africa) (71.50) (64.56) (70.74) (67.62) 

Northern Africa,  excluding Egypt 

 10.1 10.1 40.1 0.3 40.4 

(percentage in Africa) (0.78) (0.71) (1.78) (0.27) (1.72) 

Nigeria 200.5 200.5 261.7 261.7 (percentage in Africa) (15.59) (14.08) (11.63) (11.12) 

Sub-Saharan Africa,  excluding Nigeria 

 155.9 138.3 294.2 356.5 103.8 460.3 

(percentage in Africa) (12.12) (100.00) (20.66) (15.84) (99.73) (19.55) 

Americas 2 514.6 12.9 2 527.6 4 375.2 25.3 4 400.5 (percentage in world) (4.35) (0.06) (3.24) (5.00) (0.07) (3.59) 

Chile 701.1 12.2 713.2 1 485.9 19.6 1 505.5 (percentage in Americas) (27.88) (94.17) (28.22) (33.96) (77.39) (34.21) 

Rest of Latin America  and the Caribbean 

 1 154.5 0.8 1 155.3 2 270.1 5.4 2 275.5 

(percentage in Americas) (45.91) (5.83) (45.71) (51.89) (21.43) (51.71) 

North America 659.0 659.0 619.2 0.3 619.5 (percentage in Americas) (26.21) (26.07) (14.15) (1.19) (14.08) 

Asia 

(excluding Cyprus) 

 51 228.8 20 008.2 71 237.0 77 377.0 34 916.3 112 293.3 

(percentage in world) (88.70) (99.18) (91.41) (88.43) (99.54) (91.61) 

China (mainland)35 513.4 12 273.3 47 786.7 49 620.1 20 862.9 70 483.1 (percentage in Asia) (69.32) (61.34) (67.08) (64.13) (59.75) (62.77) 

India 3 785.8 4.2 3 790.0 8 636.0 5.3 8 641.3 (percentage in Asia) (7.39) (0.02) (5.32) (11.16) (0.02) (7.70) 

Indonesia 2 304.8 3 915.0 6 219.8 5 226.6 9 618.4 14 845.0 (percentage in Asia) (4.50) (19.57) (8.73) (6.75) (27.55) (13.22) 

Viet Nam 2 683.1 18.2 2 701.3 4 600.8 13.9 4 614.7 (percentage in Asia) (5.24) (0.09) (3.79) (5.95) (0.04) (4.11) 

Bangladesh 1 308.5 1 308.5 2 583.9 2 583.9 (percentage in Asia) (2.55) (1.84) (3.34) (2.30) 

Rest of Asia 5 633.1 3 797.4 9 430.5 6 709.6 4 415.8 11 125.4 (percentage in Asia) (11.00) (18.98) (13.24) (8.67) (12.65) (9.91) 

Europe 

(including Cyprus) 

 2 537.3 2.1 2 539.4 3 270.0 21.8 3 291.7 

(percentage in world) (4.39) (0.01) (3.26) (3.74) (0.06) (2.69) 

Norway 1 019.8 1 019.8 1 490.1 0.3 1 490.4 (percentage in Europe) (40.19) (40.16) (45.57) (1.54) (45.28) 

European Union (27) 1 072.1 1.4 1 073.5 1 093.8 0.5 1 094.3 (percentage in Europe) (42.25) (70.17) (42.27) (33.45) (2.38) (33.24) 

Rest of Europe 445.5 0.6 446.1 686.1 20.9 707.0 (percentage in Europe) (17.56) (29.83) (17.57) (20.98) (96.08) (21.48) 

Oceania 189.7 12.8 202.5 228.5 10.1 238.6 (percentage in world) (0.33) (0.06) (0.26) (0.26) (0.03) (0.19) 

WORLD 57 756.4 20 174.3 77 930.7 87 500.9 35 077.6 122 578.5 SOURCE: FAO. 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 15 PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION OF SELECTED MAIN SPECIES GROUPS AND TYPE OF  AQUACULTURE, 2005–2020 

WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF AQUATIC ANIMALS BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

7 000 

6 254 

THOUSAND TONNES  

6 000 5 000 4 000 3 000 

4 601 

MILLION TONNES 

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 

50 

9 5 

46 

2 584 

2 000 

1 000 

0 

1 China 2 India 3 Indonesia Rest of world 

1 592 1 490 1 486 1 145 963 854 600 566 481 775 630 

4 Viet Nam 5 Bangladesh 6 Egypt 7 Norway 8 Chile 9 Myanmar 10 Thailand 11 Philippines 12 Ecuador 13 Brazil 14 Japan 15 Republic of Korea16 Iran 

Others 

(Islamic 

Republic of) 

WORLD INLAND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF FINFISH BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

 3 500 

THOUSAND TONNES  

 3 000  2 500 2 000 1 500 

2 900 

2 294 

1 240 

MILLION TONNES 

30 20 10 0 

26 

8 

3 

12 

2 003 

1 070 

1 000 

500 

0 

1 China 2 India 3 Indonesia Rest of world 

552 424 379 262 189 173 171 370 285 

4 Viet Nam 5 Bangladesh 6 Egypt 7 Myanmar 8 Brazil 9 Iran (Islamic 

Republic of) 

10 Cambodia 11 Thailand 12 Philippines 13 Nigeria 14 Russian 

Federation15 Colombia 16 United 

States 

of America 

Others 

WORLD MARINE AND COASTAL AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF FINFISH BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

1 200 

4.5 

4.0 

1 000 

THOUSAND TONNES  

901 

800 

600 

MILLION TONNES 

4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 

1.7 

1.1 

1.5 

637 

400 200 0 

412 350 

1 China 2 Norway 3 Chile Rest of world 

305 289 249 197 143 130 

124 110 89 88 

4 Indonesia 5 Philippines 6 Egypt 7 Viet Nam 8 Türkiye 9 Japan 10 United 

Kingdom11 Bangladesh 12 Canada 13 India 14 Greece 15 Faroe 

Islands16 Republic 

of KoreaOthers 

| 31 |

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 15 (Continued) 

WORLD MARINE AND COASTAL AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF CRUSTACEANS BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

THOUSAND TONNES  

1 000 900 

800 

700 

600 

500 

892 

761 

MILLION TONNES 

3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 

2.9 

1.8 

1.1 0.9 

400 300 200 100 0 

391 

189 

89 85 

0 

63 63 

1 China 2 Viet Nam 3 India Rest of world 49 49 47 45 35 

145 

4 Indonesia 5 Ecuador 6 Thailand 7 Mexico 8 Bangladesh 9 Philippines 10 Brazil 11 Myanmar 12 Malaysia 13 Iran (Islamic 

Republic of) 

14 Saudi 

Arabia15 Venezuela 

(Bolivarian 

Republic of) 

16 Peru Others 

WORLD MARINE AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF MOLLUSCS BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

600 

20 

500 

THOUSAND TONNES  

400 300 200 

MILLION TONNES 

415 406 

10 

310 

211 207 

0 

182 

144 

15 

3 

1 China Rest of world 

321 

100 

0 

2 Republic 

119 103 75 72 

48 

72 62 

of Korea3 Chile 4 Japan 5 Viet Nam 6 Spain 7 United 

States 

of America 

8 France 9 Thailand 10 New Zealand 11 Italy 12 Philippines 13 Taiwan Province 

of China 

14 Democratic 15 Peru People’s Republic 

of Korea 

Others 

THOUSAND TONNES  

2 000 1 800 1 600 1 400 1 200 1 000 

1 762 

1 469 

WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF ALGAE BY MAJOR PRODUCERS 

30 

MILLION TONNES 

20.8 

20 

10 

9.6 

4.6 

800 600 400 

0 

603 

397 

182 

1 China 2 Indonesia Rest of world 

200 

0 

3 Republic 

of Korea4 Philippines 5 Democratic 

91 

6 Japan 7 Malaysia 8 United 

21 18 14 8 6 5 20 Federation10 Chile 11 Viet Nam 12 Madagascar 13 Solomon 

People’s Republic of Korea 

Republic of Tanzania 

9 Russian 

Islands14 India Others 

NOTES: Excluding aquatic mammals, crocodiles, alligators, caimans and algae. Data expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

| 32 |

brackish-water ponds. They are an important  source of foreign exchange earnings for a  number of developing countries in Asia and  Latin America.  

In terms of quantity, marine mollusc production  in China by far outweighs that of all other  producers combined. However, in some major  producing countries, cultivation of marine  bivalves accounts for a high percentage  of total aquaculture production of aquatic  animals. These countries include New Zealand  (86.9 percent), France (75.4 percent), Spain  (74.8 percent), the Republic of Korea (69.7 percent),  Italy (61.6 percent) and Japan (51.8 percent),  against a world average of 18.4 percent.  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

rapid development in aquaculture in 51 of  

the lower-middle-income countries and 53 of  the upper-middle-income countries reporting  aquaculture production. In 2020, aquaculture  

contributed 61.7 percent to total production in  upper-middle-income countries (2.76 billion  population), up from 19.8 percent in 1990.  

The share of aquaculture in lower-middle-income  countries (3.13 billion population) increased from  14.7 percent to 46.2 percent in the same period  (Figures 17 and 18).  

In the 67 high-income countries reporting  

aquaculture data (1.32 billion population),  

although aquaculture production more than  doubled reaching 6.8 million tonnes in 2020 from  3.1 million tonnes in 1990, its contribution to total  

Aquaculture contribution to total fisheries  and aquaculture production11 

Most major aquaculture producing countries are  highly populated developing countries where  aquaculture contributes more than half of total  fisheries and aquaculture production, benefiting  half of the global population. These countries,  such as Egypt in Africa, and Bangladesh and  Viet Nam in Asia, set successful examples for  aquaculture development in other countries with  similar conditions and where potential exists for  aquaculture development.  

On a world scale, the contribution of aquaculture  to total fisheries and aquaculture production  (excluding algae) has climbed steadily, reaching  49.2 percent in 2020 on a par with capture,  compared with just 13.4 percent in 1990.  This contribution varies greatly among and  within regions (Figure 16). Asia produces more from  aquaculture (61.9 percent) than from capture,  and when the top producer is excluded in each  region, Asia still has a high aquaculture share  of 44.7 percent. In contrast, if Egypt is excluded,  Africa’s contribution to world aquaculture  production was a mere 6.6 percent in 2020, the  lowest among regional and subregional groups  represented in the figure.  

Using the World Bank’s income level  

classification, the period 1990–2020 witnessed  

11 For fisheries and aquaculture production, see Glossary, including  Context of SOFIA 2022. 

fisheries and aquaculture production was just  23 percent in 2020 (up from 7.6 percent in 1990).  However, its contribution would be even lower  without the 40.1 percent decrease in capture  production in the same period (from 38.1 million  tonnes to 22.8 million tonnes).  

In the 26 low-income countries reporting  

aquaculture data (0.86 billion population), mostly  in sub-Saharan Africa, aquaculture development  has made limited progress in terms of its  

contribution to total fisheries production. In 2020,  aquaculture accounted for just 8 percent of total  production, a slight increase compared with  3.7 percent in 1990.  

Inland aquaculture 

Because there are places in the world where  natural or modified saline waters are used  for aquaculture, The State of World Aquaculture  and Fisheries 2022 maintains the term “inland  aquaculture”, although another term, “freshwater  aquaculture”, is widely used when saline water is  not a concern. Also, brackish-water aquaculture in  constructed ponds on seashores in coastal areas  – classified nationally or locally in some places as  “inland aquaculture” – is treated in this report as  coastal aquaculture.  

In 2020, global inland aquaculture production was  54.4 million tonnes, accounting for 44.4 percent  of the world total aquaculture production of  animal species and algae, and inland farming of  aquatic animal species represented 62.2 percent of  

| 33 |

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 16 CONTRIBUTION OF AQUACULTURE TO TOTAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION  (EXCLUDING ALGAE) BY REGION, 2000–2020 

MILLION TONNES 

120 100 

WORLD 

60 

60 

50 

50 

MILLION TONNES 

WORLD, EXCLUDING ASIA 

25 

20 

PERCENTAGE 

80 

40 

40 

60 

30 

30 

40 

20 

20 

20 

10 

10 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

PERCENTAGE 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture 

AFRICA, EXCLUDING EGYPT 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share EGYPT 

MILLION TONNES 

12 

1.8 

7 

1.6 

6 

10 

1.4 

MILLION TONNES 

5 

PERCENTAGE 

8 

1.2 

4 

1 

6 

0.8 

3 

4 

0.6 

2 

0.4 

2 

1 

0.2 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

90 

80 

70 

PERCENTAGE 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture NORTH AMERICA 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share OCEANIA 

MILLION TONNES 

7 

12 

1.8 

1.6 

6 

10 

1.4 

MILLION TONNES 

5 

PERCENTAGE 

8 

1.2 

4 

1 

6 

0.8 

3 

4 

0.6 

2 

0.4 

2 

1 

0.2 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

16 

14 

12 

PERCENTAGE 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share | 34 |

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 16 (Continued) 

MILLION TONNES 

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN, EXCLUDING CHILE 

18 

20 

6 

18 

16 

5 

16 

14 

MILLION TONNES 

CHILE 

50 

45 

40 

PERCENTAGE 

14 

12 

4 

12 

10 

10 

3 

8 

8 

6 

2 

6 

4 

4 

1 

2 

2 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

PERCENTAGE 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture ASIA, EXCLUDING CHINA 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share CHINA 

40 

50 

45 

35 

40 

MILLION TONNES 

30 

PERCENTAGE 

35 

60 

90 

80 

50 

70 

MILLION TONNES 

PERCENTAGE 

40 

60 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

30 

50 

25 

30 

40 

20 

20 

30 

15 

20 

10 

10 

10 

5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share 

MILLION TONNES 

EUROPE, EXCLUDING NORWAY 

16 

3 

16 

14 

14 

2.5 

MILLION TONNES 

12 

12 

PERCENTAGE 

NORWAY 

45 

40 

35 

PERCENTAGE 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

2 

30 

10 

25 

1.5 

8 

20 

6 

1 

15 

4 

10 

0.5 

2 

5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Aquaculture Capture 

Aquaculture share Aquaculture Capture Aquaculture share 

NOTE: Data in million tonnes expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

| 35 |

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 17 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE GROWTH COMPARISON BY COUNTRY GROUP BY INCOME LEVEL  (EXCLUDING ALGAE), 1990–2020 

1990 

LOW-INCOME 

COUNTRIES 

LOWER-MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES UPPER-MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES 

HIGH-INCOME 

COUNTRIES 

2000 

2010 

2020 

1990 

2000 

2010 

2020 

1990 

2000 

2010 

2020 

1990 

2000 

2010 

2020 

60 40 20 0 20 40 60 MILLION TONNES 

Capture production Aquaculture production 

NOTE: Data expressed in live weight equivalent.  

SOURCE: FAO. 

total aquaculture production. Farming of finfish  species dwarfs all other species groups in inland  aquaculture at the regional and global levels  (Table 8). However, the development status and  composition pattern of non-finfish groups differ  greatly from region to region. 

World inland aquaculture employs very diverse  culture methods and facilities. The operation  and practices vary greatly in terms of input  intensity, level of technological and management  sophistication and degree of integration with  other farm activities. Globally, raising finfish and  other species in constructed earthen ponds is by  far the most widespread culture method. 

Cage culture and, to a lesser extent, pen culture  are also widely used in inland aquaculture, but  their relative importance varies greatly among  countries. Worldwide data on inland cage and  

| 36 |

pen culture are unavailable. Based on available  data, Table 9 presents cage culture and pen culture  production, in comparison with national total  inland aquaculture production of finfish in  selected countries. 

National and local policy differs among  countries in terms of control of access to and  use of public open waterbodies for aquaculture,  including cage and pen culture. With proper  regulation, investing in cage culture in public  open waterbodies has proved to be an effective  and efficient approach to increase aquaculture  production, along with pond culture and  other methods. 

In the Philippines and Indonesia, cage and  pen culture (including enclosures) in rivers,  lakes and reservoirs has been undergoing  significant development for decades. In recent  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 18 SHARE OF AQUACULTURE IN TOTAL FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY MAJOR  SPECIES GROUP, 2020 

Algae 

Other aquatic animals 

Molluscs 

Crustaceans – saltwater 

Crustaceans – inland 

Finfish – saltwater 

Finfish – inland 

80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 MILLION TONNES 

Capture Aquaculture 

NOTE: Data expressed in live weight equivalent.  

SOURCE: FAO. 

years, authorities have started campaigns  to reduce cage culture in some waterbodies.  In China, one of the focuses of the Thirteenth  Five-Year Plan (2016–2020) was to “green”  natural resource-based economic activities in  the country, including aquaculture, especially  in inland areas. Implementation of the greening  policy entailed locally coordinated clean-up  plans together with a mitigation programme  to protect the affected communities and  

individuals, and the vast majority of cages and  pens were removed (Figure 19). Some provinces  still grant a limited number of licenses based  on the carrying capacity assessment of the  waterbodies, but the permit process prioritizes  environmental and conservation issues over  the economic value of the remaining cage  culture operations. 

Mariculture and coastal aquaculture 

Mariculture, or marine aquaculture, takes  place in the sea for the entire cycle or only  during the grow-out phase. In the first case,  

| 37 |

the production cycle takes place entirely  in the seas for those species dependent on  wild seeds from the sea, for example, sea  mussels. Otherwise, mariculture refers only  to the grow-out phase of the production  cycle when a species is produced from a  land-based hatchery and sometimes even in  freshwater, as is the case for Atlantic salmon.  Coastal aquaculture, typically practised in  constructed ponds onshore or in intertidal  zones, plays an important role in livelihoods,  employment and economic development  among coastal communities in many  developing countries particularly in Asia and  Latin America.  

In 2020, global production of marine and  coastal aquaculture was 68.1 million tonnes,  including 33.1 million tonnes of aquatic  animals and 35 million tonnes of algae.  The picture of mariculture and coastal  aquaculture production of the main species  groups, disaggregated by region is presented  in Table 8.  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 8 INLAND AQUACULTURE AND MARINE AND COASTAL AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY REGION AND  BY MAIN SPECIES GROUP, 2020 

Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania World Share in  

world total  

(tonnes, live weight) (%) 

1. Finfish 1 857 209 1 179 727 45 526 599 551 802 5 124 49 120 461 90.2 2. Crustaceans 2 72 541 4 401 336 3 145 177 4 477 201 8.2 3. Molluscs … … 192 671 … … 192 671 0.4 4. Other aquatic animals … 370 593 161 176 … 593 707 1.1 (Aquatic animals subtotal) (1 857 211) (1 252 638) (50 713 767) ( 555 123) ( 5 301) (54 384 040) (99.9) 5. Algae 150 1 321 62 670 349 … 64 490 0.1 Inland aquaculture 1 857 361 1 253 959 50 776 437 555 472 5 301 54 448 530 100 

1. Finfish 379 322 1 240 969 4 502 888 2 121 867 95 587 8 340 633 12.2 2. Crustaceans 7 617 1 193 549 5 549 811 418 8 420 6 759 815 9.9 3. Molluscs 5 994 688 077 16 158 709 578 712 116 363 17 547 855 25.8 4. Other aquatic animals 60 … 459 185 6 495 2 844 468 584 0.7 (Aquatic animals subtotal) ( 392 993) (3 122 595) (26 670 593) (2 707 492) ( 223 214) (33 116 887) (48.6) 5. Algae 103 941 23 994 34 853 646 21 443 10 065 35 013 089 51.4 Marine and coastal aquaculture 496 934 3 146 589 61 524 239 2 728 935 233 279 68 129 976 100 

1. Finfish 2 236 531 2 420 696 50 029 487 2 673 669 100 711 57 461 094 46.9 2. Crustaceans 7 619 1 266 090 9 951 147 3 563 8 597 11 237 016 9.2 3. Molluscs 5 994 688 077 16 351 380 578 712 116 363 17 740 526 14.5 4. Other aquatic animals 60 370 1 052 346 6 671 2 844 1 062 291 0.9 (Aquatic animals subtotal) (2 250 204) (4 375 233) (77 384 360) (3 262 615) ( 228 515) (87 500 927) (71.5) 5. Algae 104 091 25 315 34 916 316 21 792 10 065 35 077 579 28.6 Total aquaculture 2 354 295 4 400 548 112 300 676 3 284 407 238 580 122 578 506 100 

NOTES: ... = no production or production data unavailable. Data exclude production of shells and pearls. Data may not match with totals due to  rounding. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

It is relatively easy to separate mariculture and  coastal aquaculture of crustaceans, molluscs  and other marine invertebrates based on the  biological characteristics of these species and  the culture methods adopted to rear them.  However, this is not the case for finfish and  those countries that grow different finfish  species in both systems, due to the aggregation  in production data. Based on information and  data from alternative sources, a general picture of  

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mariculture and coastal aquaculture is presented  herein for the first time, showing mariculture and  coastal aquaculture separately; caution should  be exercised in interpreting this preliminary  information (Figure 20). In 2020, finfish from coastal  aquaculture was 3.1 million tonnes, representing  37.4 percent of the combined production of  8.3 million tonnes from mariculture and coastal  aquaculture. Crustaceans were almost entirely  from coastal aquaculture. The share of coastal  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 TABLE 9 CONTRIBUTION OF CAGE AND PEN CULTURE TO INLAND FINFISH AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION  IN SELECTED COUNTRIES  

2010 2015 2020 

Total  

production  

Cage  

production Contribution  

Total  

production  

Cage  

production Contribution  

Total  

production 

Cage  

production Contribution  

(%) (thousand tonnes, 

(thousand tonnes, 

live weight) 

Cage culture 

(%) 

live weight) 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 

(%) 

China (mainland) 19 913 1 131 5.7 24 642 1 379 5.6 25 864 321 1.2 Indonesia 1 332 121 9.1 2 955 191 6.5 3 390 650 19.2 Bangladesh 1 147 ... ... 1 831 2 0.1 2 294 5 0.2 Egypt 920 160 17.4 1 175 173 14.7 1 592 201 12.6 Thailand 404 40 9.9 391 33 8.4 369 32 8.7 Philippines 308 103 33.3 303 95 31.2 285 74 26.0 Russian Federation 115 25 21.6 138 30 21.6 189 59 31.2 Colombia 68 23 33.5 93 19 20.8 173 30 17.5 Türkiye 79 101 70 69.0 128 100 78.0 

Total  

production 

Pen  

production Contribution  

Total  

production 

Pen  

production Contribution  

Total  

production 

Pen  

production Contribution  

(%) (thousand tonnes, 

(thousand tonnes, 

live weight) 

Pen culture 

(%) 

live weight) 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 

(%) 

China (mainland) 19 913 523 2.6 24 642 482 2.0 25 864 37 0.1 Indonesia 1 332 309 23.2 2 955 577 19.5 3 390 24 0.7 Bangladesh 1 147 ... ... 1 831 13 0.7 2 294 13 0.6 Philippines 308 63 20.3 303 61 20.1 285 40 14.0 Russian Federation 115 5 4.7 138 3 2.4 189 10 5.2 

NOTES: ... = data unavailable, or no production. Pen culture production in China includes some Chinese mitten crab. For Egypt, total finfish production  in inland aquaculture refers to total national aquaculture production. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

aquaculture was 19.4 percent for other aquatic  animals, followed by marine algae (4.2 percent)  and molluscs (0.5 percent).  

Aquaculture production with and  

without feeding 

Fed aquaculture production progressively  outpaced that of non-fed species. The share of  non-fed aquaculture in total farmed aquatic  animal production continued to decline from  over 40 percent before 2000 to 27.8 percent in  2020, although absolute production stayed  

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relatively stable. In 2020, non-fed production  of animal species was 24.3 million tonnes,  comprising 8.2 million tonnes of filter-feeding  finfish reared in inland aquaculture (mainly  silver carp and bighead carp) and 16.2 million  tonnes of aquatic invertebrates, mainly marine  bivalves (Figure 21).  

In multi-species polyculture systems practised in  inland and coastal aquaculture, feeds intended  for fed species also directly benefit filter-feeding  species, especially when feeds in powder form are  used or pellet feeds are low in water stability and  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 19 REDUCTION IN SCALE OF CAGE AND PEN AQUACULTURE IN INLAND WATERS IN CHINA  (MAINLAND) IN RECENT YEARS 

MILLION M2 THOUSAND TONNES  

160 

140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

1 600 1 400 1 200 1 000 800 

600 

400 

200 

0 

INLAND CAGE SURFACE AREA 

300 

250 

THOUSAND HA  

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

2010 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

INLAND CAGE PRODUCTION 

600 

THOUSAND TONNES  

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

2010 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

INLAND PEN AND ENCLOSURE AREA 

2010 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 INLAND PEN AND ENCLOSURE PRODUCTION 

2010 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

NOTE: Data in thousand tonnes expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China. 

dissolve quickly. Therefore, the border between  fed and non-fed species under certain conditions  becomes less clear-cut.  

Regions such as Africa have not experienced  aquaculture development of non-fed species.  Although filter-feeding carps were introduced  in some African countries in the 1950s and 1960s  for aquaculture, they did not take off and faded  before the arrival of the new millennium to  be replaced by locally favourable tilapias and  catfishes. It has proven difficult, if not impossible,  to identify and develop native finfish species to  play the role of filter-feeding carps in developing  low-cost inland polyculture aquaculture with  

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improved efficiency in harnessing natural  productivity of the rearing water. However, in  coastal areas in Africa, joint efforts (such as  setting up internationally owned hatcheries)  to accelerate development in marine molluscs  farming represent a realistic option for increasing  aquatic food12 production.  

Farmed aquatic species 

Thanks to the vast range of conditions under  which aquaculture is practised across the world,  a richly diverse pool of aquatic species and  

12 For aquatic food, see Glossary, including Context of SOFIA 2022. 

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 20 COMPOSITION OF MARINE AND COASTAL AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION BY MAIN SPECIES  GROUP, 2016–2020 

MILLION TONNES MILLION TONNES MILLION TONNES 

FINFISH 

6 

8 

7 

5 

MILLION TONNES 

6 

4 

5 

3 

4 

3 

2 

2 

1 

1 

0 

0 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

MOLLUSCS 

20 

400 

18 

350 

THOUSAND TONNES 

16 

300 

14 

250 

12 

10 

200 

8 

150 

6 

100 

4 

50 

2 

0 

0 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

ALGAE 

40 

25 

35 

20 

MILLION TONNES 

30 

25 

15 

20 

10 

15 

10 

5 

5 

0 

0 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

CRUSTACEANS 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

OTHER AQUATIC ANIMALS 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

TOTAL AQUATIC ANIMAL SPECIES 

Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine Coastal Marine 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

Finfish Other aquatic 

Molluscs Crustaceans 

animals 

NOTE: Data expressed in live weight equivalent. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 21 FED AND NON-FED AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION OF ANIMAL SPECIES BY REGION, 2000–2020 WORLD AFRICA 

70 60 

45 40 

2.5 

10 9 

MILLION TONNES PERCENTAGE 

MILLION TONNES 

2 

8 

35 

50 

30 

1.5 

40 

25 

20 

30 

1 

15 

20 

10 

0.5 

10 

5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

PERCENTAGE 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed 

aquaculture 

Non-fed 

aquaculture 

Share of non-fed aquaculture 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed species 

AMERICAS ASIA, EXCLUDING CHINA 

25 

4 

3.5 

MILLION TONNES 

20 

PERCENTAGE 

3 

25 

30 

MILLION TONNES 

25 

20 

PERCENTAGE 

20 

2.5 

15 

2 

15 

10 

1.5 

10 

1 

5 

5 

0.5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed 

species 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed species 

EUROPE OCEANIA 

45 

3 

40 

MILLION TONNES 

2.5 

35 

PERCENTAGE 

80 

140 

70 

120 

MILLION TONNES 

PERCENTAGE 

60 

100 

30 

2 

80 

25 

1.5 

20 

60 

15 

1 

40 

10 

0.5 

20 

5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed 

species 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed species 

WORLD, EXCLUDING CHINA CHINA (MAINLAND) 

30 

40 

35 

MILLION TONNES 

25 

PERCENTAGE 

30 

20 

50 

35 

48 

30 

MILLION TONNES 

PERCENTAGE 

46 

25 

25 

20 

15 

20 

15 

15 

10 

10 

10 

5 

5 

5 

0 

0 

0 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed 

species 

44 

42 

40 

38 

36 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 

Fed species Non-fed species Share of non-fed species 

NOTE: Data in million tonnes expressed in live weight equivalent. SOURCE: FAO. 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 TABLE 10 WORLD PRODUCTION OF MAJOR AQUACULTURE SPECIES (INCLUDING SPECIES GROUPS)  

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Percentage  

of total, 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 2020 

Finfish in inland aquaculture 

Grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus 2 976.5 3 396.6 4 213.1 5 315.0 5 791.5 11.8 Silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix 3 034.7 3 690.0 3 972.0 4 713.6 4 896.6 10 Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus 1 001.5 1 721.3 2 637.4 4 000.9 4 407.2 9 Common carp, Cyprinus carpio 2 410.4 2 666.3 3 331.0 4 025.8 4 236.3 8.6 Catla, Catla catla 602.3 1 317.5 2 526.4 2 313.4 3 540.3 7.2 Bighead carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis 1 438.9 1 929.5 2 513.6 3 109.1 3 187.2 6.5 Carassius spp. 1 198.5 1 798.2 2 137.8 2 644.1 2 748.6 5.6 Striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus 113.2 411.2 1 749.4 2 083.2 2 520.4 5.1 Roho labeo, Labeo rohita 733.9 1 435.9 1 133.2 1 785.3 2 484.8 5.1 Clarias catfishes, Clarias spp. 48.8 149.5 343.3 923.7 1 249.0 2.5 Tilapias nei, Oreochromis spp. 123.9 199.3 449.6 929.9 1 069.9 2.2 Wuchang bream, Megalobrama amblycephala 445.9 477.2 629.2 723.2 781.7 1.6 Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss 340.4 360.0 464.7 546.5 739.5 1.5 Black carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus 149.0 280.7 409.5 541.2 695.5 1.4 Largemouth black bass, Micropterus salmoides 0.2 140.3 179.5 321.5 621.3 1.3 Subtotal of 15 major species 14 618.2 19 973.5 26 689.7 33 976.3 38 970.1 79.3 Subtotal other species 3 546.6 4 260.1 6 337.7 8 535.7 10 150.4 20.7 Total 18 164.7 24 233.6 33 027.4 42 512.0 49 120.5 100 Finfish in marine and coastal aquaculture 

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar 895.7 1 266.6 1 433.8 2 380.2 2 719.6 32.6 Milkfish, Chanos chanos 429.7 542.9 750.5 1 012.3 1 167.8 14 Mullets nei, Mugilidae 92.4 173.7 102.7 129.2 291.2 3.5 Gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata 87.3 110.8 142.3 168.8 282.1 3.4 Large yellow croaker, Larimichthys croceus 0.0 60.9 83.3 142.4 254.1 3 European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax 60.7 90.9 118.0 149.1 243.9 2.9 Groupers nei, Epinephelus spp. 7.6 57.1 77.2 149.2 226.2 2.7 Coho(=Silver) salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch 108.6 115.1 124.8 140.7 221.8 2.7 Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss 155.3 202.0 287.7 204.1 220.1 2.6 Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus 0.6 79.6 104.8 120.6 196.9 2.4 Pompano, Trachinotus ovatus 0.0 0.0 80.0 110.0 160.0 1.9 Japanese amberjack, Seriola quinqueradiata 136.8 159.7 138.9 140.3 137.1 1.6 Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus 1.6 5.3 20.3 49.8 107.4 1.3 Barramundi(=Giant seaperch), Lates calcarifer 18.1 27.0 52.7 68.7 105.8 1.3 Red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus 2.1 42.4 53.0 71.3 84.3 1 Subtotal of 15 major species 1 996.6 2 933.9 3 569.9 5 036.7 6 418.2 77 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 TABLE 10 (Continued) 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Percentage  

of total, 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 2020 

Subtotal other species 652.1 820.0 1 155.5 1 522.5 1 922.4 23 Total 2 648.7 3 753.9 4 725.4 6 559.2 8 340.6 100 Crustaceans 

Whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei 154.5 1 678.4 2 648.5 3 803.6 5 812.2 51.7 Red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii 9.9 114.3 599.3 723.1 2 469.0 22 Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis 202.5 378.4 572.4 747.4 775.9 6.9 Giant tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon 631.0 665.5 562.9 735.2 717.1 6.4 Giant river prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii 130.7 195.9 193.1 202.5 294.0 2.6 Indo-Pacific swamp crab, Scylla serrata 10.7 11.7 37.0 83.6 248.8 2.2 Oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense 87.1 177.3 217.7 240.6 228.8 2 Green mud crab, Scylla paramamosain 0.0 97.5 112.4 135.1 159.4 1.4 Subtotal of 8 major species 1 226.5 3 319.0 4 943.3 6 671.0 10 705.3 95.3 Subtotal other species 467.0 462.1 538.5 447.9 531.8 4.7 Total 1 693.4 3 781.0 5 481.8 7 118.9 11 237.0 100 Molluscs 

Cupped oysters, Crassostrea spp. 2 922.6 3 377.5 3 570.7 4 408.3 5 450.3 30.7 Japanese carpet shell, Ruditapes philippinarum 1 504.3 2 590.8 3 500.2 3 880.2 4 266.2 24 Scallops nei, Pectinidae 811.5 906.3 1 366.6 1 710.1 1 746.4 9.8 Sea mussels, Mytilidae 719.8 834.1 871.4 1 055.8 1 108.3 6.2 Constricted tagelus, Sinonovacula constricta 487.7 624.4 693.3 760.2 860.3 4.8 Pacific cupped oyster, Magallana gigas 617.7 686.7 640.7 576.5 610.3 3.4 Blood cockle, Anadara granosa 286.6 385.3 456.7 425.9 457.9 2.6 Chilean mussel, Mytilus chilensis 23.5 87.7 221.5 208.7 399.1 2.2 Subtotal of 8 major species 7 373.6 9 492.7 11 321.2 13 025.8 14 898.6 84 Subtotal other species 2 384.8 2 639.8 2 470.4 2 863.1 2 843.6 16 Total 9 758.4 12 132.5 13 791.5 15 888.9 17 742.2 100 Other aquatic animals 

Chinese softshell turtle, Trionyx sinensis 85.0 163.3 261.1 313.7 334.3 31.5 Japanese sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus 0.0 57.2 126.6 198.0 201.5 19 Frogs, Rana spp. 0.1 71.2 79.6 82.1 147.8 13.9 Edible red jellyfish, Rhopilema esculentum 0.0 48.2 57.9 75.3 90.4 8.5 River and lake turtles, Testudinata 0.0 11.6 25.3 41.0 49.3 4.6 Subtotal of 5 major species 85.0 351.5 550.4 710.1 823.3 77.5 Subtotal other species 70.8 76.8 243.3 140.8 239.0 22.5 Total 155.9 428.3 793.6 850.9 1 062.3 100 

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TABLE 10 (Continued) Algae 

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Percentage  of total, 

(thousand tonnes, live weight) 2020 

Japanese kelp, Laminaria japonica 5 380.9 5 699.1 6 525.6 10 313.7 12 469.8 35.5 Eucheuma seaweeds, Eucheuma spp. 214.3 983.9 3 472.6 10 182.1 8 129.4 23.2 Gracilaria seaweeds, Gracilaria spp. 55.5 933.2 1 657.1 3 767.0 5 180.4 14.8 Wakame, Undaria pinnatifida 311.1 2 439.7 1 505.1 2 215.6 2 810.6 8 Nori, Porphyra spp. 424.9 703.1 1 040.7 1 109.9 2 220.2 6.3 Elkhorn sea moss, Kappaphycus alvarezii 649.5 1 283.5 1 884.2 1 751.8 1 604.1 4.6 Fusiform sargassum, Sargassum fusiforme 12.1 115.6 97.0 209.3 292.9 0.8 Spiny eucheuma, Eucheuma denticulatum 85.3 174.5 265.5 280.8 154.1 0.4 Subtotal of 8 major species 7 133.7 12 332.7 16 447.9 29 830.2 32 861.5 93.7 Subtotal other species 3 461.9 2 498.6 3 726.5 1 243.4 2 216.0 6.3 Total 10 595.6 14 831.3 20 174.3 31 073.5 35 077.6 100 SOURCE: FAO. 

 FIGURE 22 PRODUCTION OF AIR-BREATHING FISHES IN INLAND AQUACULTURE, 1990–2020 

MILLION TONNES 

16 

50 

45 

14 

40 

12 

35 

10 

30 

PERCENTAGE 

8 

25 

20 

6 

15 

4 

10 

2 

5 

0 

0 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Air-breathing fishes Other finfishes Share of air-breathing fishes 

NOTE: Data in million tonnes expressed in live weight equivalent.  SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

their hybrids are raised in different types of  aquaculture farming systems using freshwater,  brackish water, seawater or inland saline water.  

The latest statistics compiled by FAO, based on  national reports and estimates for non-reporting  countries, cover all aquaculture productions  worldwide in a 71-year period (1950–2020) under  652 units technically known as “species items”  – an increase from the 622 reported in the 2020  edition of The State of World Aquaculture and  Fisheries. They include 494 individual species,  7 finfish hybrids, 94 groups of species identified  at genus level and 57 groups of species identified  at family or higher levels. The 494 taxonomically  recognized species ever farmed in the world  include 313 species of finfish (in 186 genera),  88 species of molluscs, 49 species of crustaceans,  31 species of algae, 2 species of cyanobacteria,  6 species of marine invertebrates, 3 species of  frogs (amphibians) and 2 species of aquatic turtles  (reptiles).  

The real number of aquatic species farmed in the  world is much greater, and the present record  of finfish hybrids is only a fraction of many  hybrids of not only finfish, but also molluscs,  frogs, aquatic turtles and seaweeds. Limitation in  the process of data collection does not enable  the FAO statistics to capture all the necessary  details. Studies on aquatic genetic resources and  biodiversity should consider these limitations  when using FAO’s aquaculture data, whose  original purpose is to monitor aquaculture  development as an economic sector of agriculture.  

Despite the great diversity in farmed aquatic  species, only a small number of “staple”  species dominate aquaculture production,  (Table 10). With 5.8 million tonnes produced in  2020, grass carp accounted for 11.8 percent of  global inland aquaculture. Together with a  further 23 individual species, they contributed  78.7 percent to total finfish production from  inland aquaculture. Atlantic salmon and 21 other  dominating species, such as milkfish, made up  75.6 percent of all finfish species of mariculture  and coastal aquaculture. Atlantic salmon, with  its production of 2.7 million tonnes in 2020,  accounted for a high 32.6 percent of marine and  coastal aquaculture of all finfish species.  

Some finfish species living in freshwater  

or marine water are capable of bimodal  

respiration for oxygen uptake from the air,  and the physiological mechanism varies.  

About 30 different air-breathing fishes and  their hybrids are raised in inland aquaculture  worldwide. Global production of air-breathing  fish seldom exceeded 3 percent in total production  of inland finfish farming until the mid-2000s  when the share started to rise to reach about  13 percent in recent years. In 2020, the production  of air-breathing fishes was 6.2 million tonnes and  the share was 12.6 percent, a slight drop from  2019 due mainly to the drop in production in  Viet Nam (Figure 22). Species from three families  accounted for 83.9 percent of total production  of air-breathing finfishes in 2020, including  47 percent from Pangasiidae (e.g. striped catfish,  Pangasianodon hypophthalmus), 26.5 percent from  Clariidae (e.g. North African catfish, Clarias  gariepinus) and 10.5 percent from Channidae (e.g.  snakehead, Channa argus). ■   

THE STATUS OF  

FISHERY RESOURCES Marine fisheries 

Status of resources 

Based on FAO’s assessment,13 the fraction of  fishery stocks within biologically sustainable  levels decreased to 64.6 percent in 2019, that  is 1.2 percent lower than in 2017 (Figure 23).  

This fraction was 90 percent in 1974. In contrast,  the percentage of stocks fished at biologically  unsustainable levels has been increasing since the  late 1970s, from 10 percent in 1974 to 35.4 percent  in 2019. This calculation treats all fishery stocks  equally regardless of their abundance and  catch. Biologically sustainable stocks account  for 82.5 percent of the 2019 landings of assessed  stocks monitored by FAO. 

Biologically sustainable stocks consist of the  maximally sustainably fished and underfished  stocks, accounting for, respectively, 57.3 percent  and 7.2 percent of the total number of assessed  

13 For the methodology for the assessment, see FAO Fisheries and  Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 569 (FAO, 2011a). 

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THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

 FIGURE 23 GLOBAL TRENDS IN THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S MARINE FISHERY STOCKS, 1974–2019 100 

PERCENTAGE 

SOURCE: FAO. 

Overfished 

UNSUSTAINABLE 

75 

Maximally sustainably fished

50 

SUSTAINABLE 

25 

Underfished 

0 

1974 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019 

stocks in 2019. The underfished stocks  

maintained a decreasing trend over the entire  period (bouncing back slightly during 2018  and 2019), whereas the maximally sustainably  fished stocks fell between 1974 and 1989,  

to then increase, reaching 57.3 percent in  

2019. In 2019, among FAO’s 16 Major Fishing  Areas, the Southeast Pacific (Area 87) had the  highest percentage (66.7 percent) of stocks  fished at unsustainable levels, followed by  the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Area 37)  63.4 percent (Figure 24). In contrast, the Northeast  Pacific (Area 67), Eastern Central Pacific (Area  77), Western Central Pacific (Area 71) and  Southwest Pacific (Area 81) had the lowest  proportion (13–23 percent) of stocks fished at  biologically unsustainable levels. Other areas  varied between 27 percent and 45 percent in  2019 (Figure 24). Landings of fish varied greatly  among fishing areas (Figure 9b), and therefore,  the significance of each area for global fishery  

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sustainability may vary depending on its  proportionate contribution to the global  landings The temporal pattern of an area’s  landings often reveals information about its  ecological productivity, fishery development  stage, management and fishery stock status.  In general, after excluding Arctic and Antarctic  areas, which have minor landings, three  groups of patterns can be observed (Figure 25):  (i) areas with an overall declining landing  trend following historical peaks; (ii) areas with  catches oscillating around a globally stable value  since 1990, associated with the dominance of  pelagic, short-lived species; and (iii) areas with  a continuously increasing trend in catches since  1950. The first group has the lowest percentage  of biologically sustainable stocks (59.2 percent),  the second group the highest (76.1 percent),  while the third is in between (67.0 percent).  When management intervention is not strong,  an increasing trend of catch (the third group)  

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 FIGURE 24 PERCENTAGES OF BIOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE AND UNSUSTAINABLE FISHERY STOCKS BY FAO  MAJOR FISHING AREA, 2019 

18 18 

72.7% 

67 

86.2% 

61.1% 

27 

77 

21 37 34 

62.3% 

36.6% 

55.0% 

61 

31 

85.7% 

33.3% 

60.0% 

41 47 60.0% 64.7% 

79.6% 

71 

62.5% 

65.3% 

8181 51 

76.9% 

57 

87 

48 58 

Stock status Sustainable 

88 88 

NOTE: The digital percentages represent the proportion of sustainable stocks.  

SOURCE: FAO. 

Unsustainable 

suggests development of fishing and lack of  control, with resource sustainability most likely  in good shape. However, when there is an  increasing trend, stock assessment may involve  great uncertainty and be unreliable due to the  lack of contrast resulting from the one-way-trip  pattern in catch or catch per unit of effort.  In contrast, a decreasing trend in catch (the first  group) usually suggests worsening sustainability  of fishery stocks or implementation of strict  regulations but lack of recovery. The highest  level of sustainability (the second group) is  likely to be associated with the full development  of fisheries, mature management and effective  regulation in fishing. However, other issues,  such as environmental changes and social  factors, can also influence catch trends. Box 3 illustrates the FAO plan to revise the current  assessment methodology to better reflect the  major changes that have occurred in the relative  dominance of different fisheries resources. 

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Status and trends by major species 

For the top ten species with the largest landings  in 2019 – anchoveta (Peruvian anchovy) (Engraulis  ringens), Alaska pollock (walleye pollock) (Gadus  chalcogrammus), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus  pelamis), Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus),  yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), blue whiting  (Micromesistius poutassou), European pilchard  (Sardina pilchardus), Pacific chub mackerel  (Scomber japonicus), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)  and largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) –  on average, 66.7 percent of these stocks were  fished within biologically sustainable levels in  2019, slightly higher than the global average of  64.4 percent. European pilchard, Atlantic cod  and Atlantic herring had higher than average  proportions of overfished stocks.  

Tuna stocks are of upmost importance because of  their large volume of catches, high economic value  and extensive international trade. Moreover, their  

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 FIGURE 25 THE THREE TEMPORAL PATTERNS IN FISHERIES LANDINGS, 1950–2019 

Pacific, Southeast / Atlantic, Northeast 20 

15 

MILLION TONNES 

10 

5 

0 

DECREASE AFTER A PEAK1 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

MILLION TONNES 59.2%SUSTAINABLE STOCKS 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019 

Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, Southeast 

Atlantic, Northwest Atlantic, Western Central 

Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Southwest 

Mediterranean and Black Sea Pacific, Southwest 

FLUCTUATION1 Pacific, Northwest 

25 

4 

20 

76.1%

3 

MILLION TONNES MILLION TONNES 

MILLION TONNES 

15 

2 

SUSTAINABLE STOCKS 

10 

1 

5 

0 

0 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019 Pacific, Northwest Pacific, Northeast Pacific, Eastern Central 

INCREASE 

14 

12 

10 

67.0%

8 

SUSTAINABLE STOCKS 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019 Atlantic, Eastern Central Indian Ocean, Eastern Pacific, Western Central Indian Ocean, Western 

1 Right vertical axis refers to the fishing areas not listed on the left vertical axis. 

NOTES: Bars show the percentages of stocks at biologically sustainable levels in 2019 for the group of fishing areas listed under the graph. Data  expressed in live weight equivalent. 

SOURCE: FAO. 

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PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

 BOX 3 IMPROVING THE FAO PERIODIC ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERY RESOURCES 

Since its first publication of the global review of marine  fishery stocks in 1971,1 FAO has been regularly assessing  and monitoring the state of world marine fishery  resources with results published biennially in The State  of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) since 1995.  The objective of the FAO assessment is to provide an  overview of the global and regional state of marine  fishery resources to help with policy formulation and  decision-making for the long-term sustainability of these  resources. As marine fisheries have developed, both the  assessment methods and the relative data available have  undergone significant change. The current methodology  was revised in 20112 and has not been updated since.  In order to continue providing a comprehensive and  objective global analysis, FAO has decided to revise the  methodology to better reflect the major changes that have  occurred in the relative dominance of different fisheries  resources, and to base the analysis on an updated and  more comprehensive list of fishery stocks. The new  methodology will update the list of stocks and provide a  tiered and transparent approach to a new analysis with  newer reporting formats. These changes are also expected  to engage more directly with the growing community of  assessment and management institutions and experts in  Member Countries, and thus enhance transparency. 

The revised plan to address these issues in future  reports on the state of world marine capture fisheries is  to adopt a regional strategy, where gaps in assessment  can be narrowed over time by using a tiered approach  linked to the level of information available. The initial  and most important step is to update the list of stocks  considered in the analysis in each region, thus better  reflecting current realities in fisheries in different parts  of the world. This will be done collaboratively with local  experts, through regional workshops and new forms of  consultations, such as the Sustainable Development  Goal (SDG) Indicator 14.4.1 (Proportion of fish stocks  within biologically sustainable levels) country-specific  questionnaires. The tiered assessment approach  depends on the quality of the data and supplementary  information for each region: 

1. Tier 1 – Stocks for which traditional stock  assessments are available and deemed reliable.  Formal results are used as reported by the  management agencies.  

2. Tier 2 – Stocks for which no formal assessments are  available, but for whom alternative approaches (such  as Sraplus3) are viable, because supplementary  information, such as external data on landings  with abundance indices or expert-driven priors  for depletion, is available to derive a state of the  particular stock.  

3. Tier 3 – If data are insufficient for either Tier 1  or Tier 2 approaches, then a weight-of-evidence4 approach to categorize the status of the stock based  on qualitative/semi-quantitative information will be  used.5 

To demonstrate the proof of concept of this tiered  approach in a transparent SOFIA assessment  framework, two FAO statistical areas (Area 31 and  Area 37) will be piloted by FAO to present to the  Thirty-fifth Session of the Committee of Fisheries (COFI)  in 2022, comparing the current and new approach in  terms of derived metrics. The pilot will document the  data, workflow, analysis and reporting in a standardized  format that is easily replicable. In addition, new  infographics (see figure for a preliminary prototype  example) will be developed to provide a more  engaging communication format and present fisheries  assessments in a wider context aligned with the  ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM).6 

A detailed work programme to achieve the objectives  of modernizing the SOFIA indicator on the status of  marine resources will be proposed to the Thirty-fifth  Session of COFI. If endorsed, examples of the tiered  analysis and new visual communication approaches  will be offered in the 2024 edition of The State of  World Fisheries and Aquaculture with a full roll-out  in most areas. A new edition of the FAO Technical  Paper, Review of the state of world marine fishery  resources, will subsequently be published describing  the methodology in detail. The work programme also  envisions a process to increase the capacity of national  and regional fisheries institutions for assessing the state  of the stocks. The programme will encourage greater  participation and more active involvement in the global  analysis by national institutions, empowering them to  regularly present their analyses as inputs to the FAO  flagship publication in conjunction with reporting on  progress on SDG Indicator 14.4.1. 

1 Gulland, J.A. 1971. The fish resources of the ocean. West Byfleet, UK, Fishing News Books. www.fao.org/3/al937e/al937e.pdf 2 FAO. 2011. Review of the state of world marine fishery resources. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 569. Rome. www.fao.org/3/i2389e/i2389e.pdf 

3 Stock reduction analysis + (Sraplus) includes options to estimate depletion based on external covariates. 

4 The weight-of-evidence approach was initially developed by the Australian Government:  

 Woodhams, J., Stobutzki, I., Vieira, S., Curtotti, R. & Begg, G.A., eds. 2011. Fishery status reports 2010: status of fish stocks and fisheries managed by the  Australian Government. Canberra, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. 

The approach aims to hypothesize alternative stock status based on different indicators (social, biological or economic). The weight of evidence would  indicate the highest probability of a status using multiple approaches indicating the most likely outcome. 

5 Sousa, P. & Barros, P. forthcoming. Providing EAF-compliant management advice in data- and capacity-limited fisheries: A framework using the weight of  evidence approach. Rome, FAO. 

6 Staples, D., Brainard, R.,Capezzuoli, S., Funge-Smith, S., Grose, C., Heenan, A., Hermes, R. et al. 2014. Essential EAFM. Ecosystem approach to fisheries  management Training Course. Volume 2 – For Trainers. RAP Publication 2014/13. Bangkok, FAO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. www.fao.org/3/i3779e/i3779e.pdf 

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BOX 3 (Continued) 

THE STATE OF WORLD FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE 2022 

DRAFT INFOGRAPHICS ON REGIONAL INFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF MULTIPLE INDICATORS RELEVANT  TO FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND ECOSYSTEM COMPLEXITY 

MAJOR FISHING AREA X 

ILLUSTRATION PROTOTYPE 

KEY ISSUES 

• Data collection remains a challenge in the region due  

to the small-scale and multispecies nature of the  

majority of its fisheries.  

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION 

< 2% 2−3% 3−5% 5−10% > 10% 

Non-motorized: 

Artisanal 

< 12 m: 

Artisanal and industrial 

12–24 m: 

Artisanal and industrial 

> 24 m: 

Industrial 

1 BOAT ICON = 10 000 VESSELS 

X1 

X3 

X2 

X4 

• The region is home to a large proportion of global  fishers and artisanal fleets. Millions of people here  depend on fisheries for livelihoods and food security. 

STOCK STATUS 

Unassessed stocks 

~4/7 of reported landings 

70% 30% 

Assessed stocks 

~3/7 of reported landings 

Biologically sustainable 

This illustrative map of sample area X shows the share of employment in the fisheries sector as a percentage of the  total labour population in bordering countries, and the estimated size of the fleet components. 

Biologically unsustainable 

LANDINGS Data source Reported landings ~ 9.5 million tonnes 

SPECIES COMPOSITION Data source Composition of stocks by taxonomic group 

= 1 MILLION TONNES 

SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN CATCH DATA ~65% 

Sharks, rays, chimaeras Tunas, bonitos, billfishes Herrings, sardines, anchovies Shads 

Flounders, halibuts, soles Other identified fish species Unidentified fish species 

Shrimps, prawns,  

cephalopods and other  identified non-fish species 

10 

catch (million tonnes) 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019 

FLEET SIZE AND COMPOSITION Data source ~ 750 000 active vessels 

EMPLOYMENT Data source ~ 33million people employed1 

ECONOMIC VALUES 

Estimated landings value: USD 20 billion

Data source 

Non-motorized ~ 500 000 

PRIMARY SECTOR SECONDARY SECTOR 

< 12 m 

12–24 m 

> 24 m 

 = 10 000 VESSELS  

SOURCE: FAO. 

~ 200 000 ~ 40 000 ~ 10 000 

1 In fishing (primary); transporting, processing,  preparing,selling (secondary). 

= 1 MILLION PEOPLE 

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~ 7% derived from tuna, 

making it a high-value species 

= USD 1 BILLION 

PART 1 WORLD REVIEW 

management is subject to additional challenges  owing to their highly migratory and often  straddling distributions. At the global level, the  seven species of tunas of principal commercial  importance are albacore (Thunnus alalunga), bigeye  tuna (Thunnus obesus), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus  pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and  three species of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus,  Thunnus maccoyii, Thunnus orientalis). The main  commercial tunas contributed 5.7 million tonnes  of catch in 2019, a 15 percent increase from 2017  but still 14 percent lower than the historical peak  in 2014. On average, of the principal commercial  tuna species, 66.7 percent of stocks were fished  within biologically sustainable levels in 2019,  slightly higher than the all-species average, but  unchanged in comparison with 2017.  

Tuna stocks are closely monitored and  

extensively assessed, and the status of the seven  above-mentioned tuna species is known with  moderate uncertainty. However, other tuna and  tuna-like species remain mostly unassessed or  assessed under high uncertainty. This represents  a major challenge, as tuna and tuna-like species  are estimated to account for at least 15 percent of  the total global small-scale fisheries catch (FAO,  Duke University and WorldFish, forthcoming).  Furthermore, market demand for tuna remains  high, and tuna fishing fleets continue to have  significant overcapacity. Effective management,  including better reporting and access to data  and the implementation of harvest control rules  across all tuna stocks, is needed to maintain  stocks at a sustainable level and in particular  rebuild overexploited stocks. Moreover, substantial  additional efforts on data collection, reporting and  assessment for tuna and tuna-like species other  than the main commercial species are required.  

Status and trends by fishing area 

The Northwest Pacific has the highest production  among the FAO Major Fishing Areas, producing  24.1 percent of global landings in 2019. Its total  catch fluctuated between 17 million tonnes and  24 million tonnes in the 1980s and 1990s and  was about 19.4 million tonnes in 2019 (Figure 25).  Historically, Japanese pilchard (Sardinops  melanostictus) and Alaska pollock used to be the  most productive species, with peak landings  at 5.4 million tonnes and 5.1 million tonnes,  respectively. However, their catches have declined  

significantly in the last 25 years. In contrast,  landings of squids, cuttlefishes, octopuses  and shrimps have increased greatly since  1990. In 2019, two stocks of Japanese anchovy  (Engraulis japonicus) were overfished, while for  Alaska pollock two stocks were overfished and  another sustainably fished. Overall, in 2019, about  55.0 percent of assessed stocks were fished within  biologically sustainable levels, and 45.0 percent  fished outside these levels, in the Northwest  Pacific, a 10 percent increase compared with the  last assessment in 2017.  

In recent decades, catches in the Eastern Central  Pacific have oscillated between 1.5 million tonnes  and 2.0 million tonnes (Figure 25). Total landings  in 2019 were 1.9 million tonnes, close to the  maximum seen in history. A large proportion  of the landings in this area are small and  medium-sized pelagic fish (including important  stocks of California pilchard (Sardinops sagax),  anchovy and Pacific jack mackerel (Scomber  japonicas), squids and prawns. The productivity  of these stocks of short-lived species are naturally  more susceptible to interannual variations  in oceanographic conditions, which generate  oscillations in catches despite sustainable  exploitation rates. Catches of California  

pilchard in the Gulf of California stock have  for instance recovered dramatically in the last  three years, most likely in response to favourable  environmental conditions. As noted in previous  years, overfishing impacts selected coastal  resources of high value, such as groupers,  snappers and shrimps. However, the status of  these stocks is considered highly uncertain  due to the limited information available.  

The percentage of assessed stocks in the Eastern  Central Pacific fished within biologically  

sustainable levels has remained stable since  2015 at 85.7 percent, the second highest among  fishing areas.  

The Southeast Pacific produced 7.8 million  tonnes of aquatic animals in 2019, accounting  for about 10 percent of global landings, with a  clear decreasing trend since the 1990s (Figure 25).  The two most productive species were anchoveta  and jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas), with  landings of almost 5.0 million tonnes and  0.9 million tonnes, respectively. These species are  considered to be within biologically sustainable  

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