State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture

About the report

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) is the flagship publication of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. This premier advocacy document is published every two years to provide policy-makers, civil society and those whose livelihoods depend on the sector a comprehensive, objective and global view of capture fisheries and aquaculture, including associated policy issue.

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2024

This edition features the Blue Transformation in action, illustrated by activities and initiatives, led by FAO in collaboration with Members, partners and key stakeholders, to integrate aquatic foods into global food security and sustainability, enhance policy advocacy, scientific research and capacity building, disseminate sustainable practices and technological innovations, and support community involvement.

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 provides the most up-to-date and evidence-based information, supporting policy, scientific and technical insights on challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the present and future of the sector, for the benefit of a wide and expanding audience of policymakers, managers, scientists, fishers, farmers, traders, civil society activists and consumers. 

Key points

• World 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. From the 1980s to 2022, the combined production of aquaculture for aquatic animals and algae has grown elevenfold. But that's not all. Let's dive deeper and see how else fisheries and aquaculture production has changed over the years. In 2022, global fisheries and aquaculture production reached 223.2 million tonnes. This includes 185.4 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 37.8 million tonnes of algae.
• Aquaculture produced a total of 130.9 million tonnes, valued at USD 312.8 billion. This marks a 6.6 percent increase in volume and 12 percent increase in value compared to 2020. For the first time, aquaculture production of aquatic animals reached 94.4 million tonnes in 2022, surpassing capture fisheries and consolidating further its contribution to human consumption. Despite this, the sector remains dominated by a limited number of countries with many, especially low-income countries in Africa and Asia, not fully leveraging their aquaculture potential.
• Apparent consumption is up. 89 percent of the total aquatic animal production from fisheries and aquaculture was used for human consumption, compared to 64 percent in the 1960s. The remaining production was destined for non-food uses, mainly to produce fishmeal and fish oil. Between 1961 and 2021, the consumption of aquatic animal foods rose by 483%, translating into an average annual growth rate of 3.0 percent, almost twice the average world population growth rate of 1.6 percent! This growth has reflected into an increase in per capita consumption from 9.1 kg/year in 1961 to 20.6 kg/year in 2021, with preliminary estimates up to 20.7 kg in 2022.
• Aquatic foods contribute to healthy diets. They are rich in high-quality proteins and other nutrients, in particular long chain omega-3 fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. Globally, aquatic animal foods accounted for 15 percent of animal proteins and 6 percent of all proteins in 2021. As well as a great source of protein, aquatic foods are an excellent source of other key micronutrients too.
• Fishery resources are declining but effective management makes a difference. Fishery resources continue to face significant challenges including climate change, pollution, habitat degradation, overfishing, and poor management. Globally, 62.3% of the stocks monitored by FAO were fished within biologically sustainable levels in 2021, 2.3 percent lower than in 2019. This fraction was 90 percent in 1974. This concerning trend has raised alarm within the international community, highlighting , the urgent need for restoration plans and management efforts to ensure the sustainability of fisheries worldwide. However, in the same year of 2021, for the ten marine species with the largest landings, 78.9% of the harvest were from stocks fished sustainably, suggesting that effective management can make a difference.
• More and more people depend on the sector. Besides nourishing people, the fisheries and aquaculture sector support millions of lives and livelihoods all around the world. In 2022, the sector employed almost 62 million people in primary production, mostly in small-scale operations. Of these 22.1 million people were engaged in aquaculture and 33.6 million in fisheries, and an additional 6.1 million worked in either fisheries or aquaculture (specific sub-sector data unavailable).
• Despite playing a critical role in the sector, many small-scale producers face unstable working conditions. In addition, women, often face gender-based constraints that limit their access to equal rights and opportunities. Sustaining their livelihoods is crucial to sustainability and equitable development. When considering the entire aquatic food value chain, subsistence fishers and their dependent, FAO estimates that 600 million people rely on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihood, 500 million of them in small-scale fisheries. Despite playing a critical role in the sector, many small-scale producers face unstable working conditions. For women, when considering the primary production sector they account for 24 percent of those employed, while in the post-harvest sector they represent 62 percent of all workers. This shows the importance of applying a gender-lens to understand the sector.
• Aquatic food products rank among the most traded food commodities globally, involving over 230 countries.
• Ensuring sustainable growth into the future. World production of aquatic animals is forecast to reach 205 million tonnes by 2032, with 111 million tonnes from aquaculture and 94 million tonnes from capture fisheries.  Aquatic animal foods for human consumption, totaling 184 million tonnes, will make up 90% of this production, supplying an average of 21.3 kg per capita in 2032, up from 20.7 kg in 2022.

Source : FAO

Related resources

To view the complete report, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024.