The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2024

1World fisheries and aquaculture production hit a new high in 2022. Successful initiatives should be upscaled to consolidate the vital role of aquatic foods for global food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

• Global fisheries and aquaculture production surged to 223.2 million tonnes, with 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 37.8 million tonnes of algae.
• Of the total aquatic animal production, 89 percent was used for human consumption, equivalent to an estimated 20.7 kg per capita in 2022. The rest went on non-food uses, mostly fishmeal and fish oil.
• An estimated 61.8 million people were employed in the primary production sector, mostly in small-scale operations. Sex-disaggregated data indicate that 24 percent of fishers and fish farmers were women compared with 62 percent in the post-harvest sector.
• Over 230 countries and territories were involved in the international trade of aquatic products, reaching a record value of USD 195 billion – a 19 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
• In low- and middle-income countries, the total net trade (exports minus imports) of aquatic animal products reached USD 45 billion – greater than that of all other agricultural products combined.
• Further transformative and adaptive actions are needed to strengthen the resilience of aquatic food systems and consolidate their role in addressing hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

2 Aquaculture can meet the rising global demand for aquatic foods. Future expansion must prioritize sustainability and benefit regions and communities most in need.

• In 2022, global aquaculture production reached 130.9 million tonnes, valued at USD 312.8 billion, 59 percent of global fisheries and aquaculture production.
• Inland aquaculture contributed 62.6 percent of farmed aquatic animals, marine and coastal aquaculture 37.4 percent.
• For the first time, aquaculture surpassed capture fisheries in aquatic animal production with 94.4 million tonnes, representing 51 percent of the world total and a record 57 percent of the production destined for human consumption.
• Aquaculture remains dominated by a small number of countries, with many low-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean not exploiting their full potential.
• Out of some 730 farmed species items, 17 staple species represent about 60 percent of global aquaculture production, while other species are important at local level.
• Targeted policies, technology transfer, capacity building and responsible investment are crucial to boost sustainable aquaculture where it is most needed, in particular in Africa.

3Global capture fisheries production remains stable, but sustainability of fishery resources is a cause for concern. Urgent action is needed to accelerate fishery stock conservation and rebuilding.

• Global capture fisheries production of aquatic animals has fluctuated between 86 and 94 million tonnes per year since the late 1980s.
• In 2022, the sector produced 92.3 million tonnes, valued at about USD 159 billion and comprising 91.0 million tonnes of aquatic animals – 79.7 million tonnes caught in marine areas and 11.3 million tonnes in inland waters – in addition to 1.3 million tonnes of algae. With a share of 43 percent, marine capture fisheries remain the major source of global aquatic animal production.
• The fraction of marine stocks fished within biologically sustainable levels decreased to 62.3 percent in 2021, 2.3 percent lower than in 2019.
• When weighted by their production level, an estimated 76.9 percent of the 2021 landings were from biologically sustainable stocks. Effective fisheries management leads to stock recovery, and urgent action is needed to replicate successful policies and reverse declining sustainability trends.

4Global demand for aquatic foods is projected to increase further. Expansion of sustainable production is vital to ensure healthy diets from healthy oceans, lakes and rivers.

• In 2022, global apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods reached an estimated 165 million tonnes, increasing at nearly twice the annual rate of the world population since 1961.
• Global annual per capita apparent consumption of aquatic animal foods rose from 9.1 kg in 1961 to an estimated 20.7 kg in 2022.
• Aquatic animal foods provide high-quality proteins – 15 percent of animal proteins and 6 percent of total proteins worldwide – and key nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.
• The potential of aquatic foods to contribute to food security, nutrition and poverty reduction is increasingly recognized in major global fora such as the UN Food Systems Summit and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Efforts must continue to promote aquatic foods for healthy diets from healthy oceans, lakes and rivers.

5Aquatic animal production is expected to increase by 10 percent by 2032. The Blue Transformation Roadmap aims to ensure sustainable fisheries and aquaculture growth while promoting equitable benefits and environmental conservation.

• Aquatic animal production is expected to increase by 10 percent by 2032, driven by aquaculture expansion and capture fisheries recovery. It will reach 205 million tonnes – 111 million tonnes from aquaculture and 94 million tonnes from fisheries.
• Up to 90 percent will be destined for human consumption, at a rate of about 21.3 kg per capita. Consumption per capita is expected to grow in all continents, but will likely decline in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, where many people rely on aquatic foods for nutrition.
• Exports of aquatic animal products will grow, involving 34 percent of the total production in 2032, down from 38 percent in 2022.
• The FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap paves the way for sustainable growth, promoting equitable benefits and reversing environmental degradation.

6Small-scale fisheries are a vital source of nutrition and livelihoods for millions of people. Greater global recognition and action are needed to support and empower these communities.

• Small-scale fisheries contribute an estimated 40 percent of the global catch and support 90 percent of the capture fisheries workforce, with women representing 40 percent of all those engaged in the aquatic value chain.
• Some 500 million people rely on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods, including 53 million involved in subsistence fishing – 45 percent of whom are women.
• The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries were endorsed a decade ago, yet the vital role of small-scale fisheries is not sufficiently recognized.
• Enhancing the recognition and governance of small-scale fisheries through co-management approaches remains crucial to secure sustainable exploitation, equitable socioeconomic development and equal opportunities for all.

7Efforts to improve data collection and analysis must be strengthened. They are key to evidence-based policymaking and the effective management of fisheries and aquaculture.

• FAO, in coordination with Members and partners, has invested significant resources to strengthen capacity, and improve data collection, analytical tools and methodologies for managing fisheries and aquaculture effectively.
• Enhanced fishery stock assessments, revised socioeconomic and technical data, and digital innovations provide more accurate insights and bolster “Blue Transformation in action”.
• Improved data and analysis inform global policy debates and guide FAO’s initiatives for effective fisheries and aquaculture management at national, regional and global levels.

8Efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal targets related to fisheries and aquaculture must accelerate. FAO urges the international community to step up actions to support implementation of the Blue Transformation Roadmap.

• Progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remains slow and uneven.
• The indicators on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and supporting small-scale fisheries show increasing uptake of international guidelines and policies. However, the indicator on increasing the economic benefits from sustainable marine fisheries is lagging, while the percentage of fishery stocks within biologically sustainable levels continues to drift from the target.
• FAO encourages countries to implement the Blue Transformation Roadmap to catalyse change in aquatic food systems and achieve sustainable aquaculture growth, effective fisheries management and upgraded value chains.